[Nalin Kumar]

Around a year back when the news about the possible opening of Kannur International Airport and the start of commercial air services in September 2018 came I could never imagine the developments beyond what is normally expected for a small town airport in line with those maintained by the Airport Authority of India. I remember watching a Malayalam movie long back meant to sarcastically indicate the futility of having an airport in a village instead of other development measures and portrayed the trials and privations of owners of land, the process of acquisition for airport and the story went on. Now as the new airport is being inaugurated, I couldn't resist writing a few lines on this...



Now, finally, Kannur International Airport (IATA Code CNN)!



As the airport is gearing up for the commercial flight to Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Riyadh, Doha, etc., and the possible additional domestic connections in near future to Bengaluru and Hyderabad indicate that it could turn out to be full-fledged airport, much beyond what is expected for a small town airport of AAI. Kannur International Airport is a greenfield one based on the Public Private Consortium.

And then Cannanore, connecting weekly to Trivandrum and Bombay by Tata Sons, Rs 135 from Bombay to Cannanore!



I have my own share of excitement, not that I am a frequent flyer, but this is a major development in my home district. I hail from Payyanur, and the town has accessibility problems at night like many other small towns. In our college days in mid 90s, writing a competitive exam meant that I travel either to Mangalore (nearest city as exam centre) or Bangalore (nearest state capital as exam centre), and there was nothing so close in God’s Own Country. One could always reach Kannur anytime of the day thanks to many long distance trains. But the next leg of the journey to Payyanur was next to impossible say, close to midnight. So, getting stranded or a long wait through the night in a deserted bus stand was a usual affair. These aspects remain same today as well. Trip to Mumbai in train meant that we start by travelling in the opposite direction for a long distance before the train puts its nose in the intended direction until Konkan Railway services started!



I am yet to experience how it would be to have my hand baggage checked in without putting it through the X ray baggage belt! Kannur Airport boasts many new features...

When the existing runway is lengthened to more than 4000 metres, this turns out to be the fourth longest one in India after Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad ready to host wide bodied aircraft. And all these developments indicate significant patronage in the coming months.



In my town there are a few cab drivers surviving mainly on the regular airport trips either to Mangalore or Kozhikode (partly due to the issues in last mile connectivity through public transport) to see off or bring home those based in the Gulf. Now Kannur International Airport will change those dynamics.

Also likely to change are the tourist arrival pattern in Coorg, which is predominantly via Kempegowda International at Bengaluru. Kannur is much closer to Coorg now!!

Bengaluru – Coorg

Kannur – Coorg


The is also fresh hope for many planters to make their farm produce reach export markets faster through Kannur Airport, indicating cargo services. Now facts have to replace these claims in the coming months.

[GTO]

Thanks for sharing, Nalin! Since we discuss aircraft in the CV forum, moving your thread here.

[Sankar]

So, we have a new airport. Nice.

But still it takes 15 - 16 hours or more if one decides to drive between the northern most and southernmost districts of the state. A distance of roughly 580Kms, and we have 4 airports between these two points.

Wish flying cars become a mainstream reality sooner than later... for Kerala's sake.

[selfdrive]

Interesting details, thanks for sharing. I will definitely consider this when I plan for a Coorg vacation. If they have the A380 coming in, I hope there is a nice conenction from Pune to Kannur.

I read about this somewhere else this morning. That article mentioned this is the 4th international airport in Kerala after Kochi, Kozhikode and Trivandrum.

This is great to hear and will definitely develop the economy. I also look forward to the day when we build a true transit hub in India. Something similar to how Dubai/ Abu Dhabi airports have been developed.

[libranof1987]

Good progress; our country can certainly do with more of reliable connectivity!

The sanction/development of this airport must have happened quite some back but likely that the UDAN initiative helped its case?

Originally Posted by selfdrive

If they have the A380 coming in, I hope there is a nice conenction from Pune to Kannur.

Well, it'll be a (long) while until Pune can support the A380.

[silversteed]

Originally Posted by Sankar

So, we have a new airport. Nice.

But still it takes 15 - 16 hours or more if one decides to drive between the northern most and southernmost districts of the state. A distance of roughly 580Kms, and we have 4 airports between these two points.

Wish flying cars become a mainstream reality sooner than later... for Kerala's sake.

A good opportunity for some LCCs to start operations between the cities in Kerala, perhaps? A low-key service using a Cessna or ATR from Kannur to Kochi and onward to Tvm, and back, could strike a chord with many who don't want to spend hours on the roads or inside a train. TRV, COK, CNN, IXE in that order are at identical distances between each other.

[Nalin Kumar]

Originally Posted by silversteed

A good opportunity for some LCCs to start operations between the cities in Kerala, perhaps? TRV, COK, CNN, IXE in that order are at identical distances between each other.

I remember a hop on hop off operated by Kingfisher from Trivandrum to Goa and back connecting all airports in between (COK, CCJ and IXE). This was of course during the king of good times! Air India express has been offering a morning service from Trivandrum to Kozhikode and back at night for some time, and fares were capped at around INR 2500 or so, but this is no longer the case.

Originally Posted by Sankar

But still it takes 15 - 16 hours or more if one decides to drive between the northern most and southernmost districts of the state. A distance of roughly 580Kms, and we have 4 airports between these two points.

Ironically, some long distance trains bound for Trivandrum, when they are late, cover the distance in around 8 hours. I had experienced a few times. But we have to be really late and lucky for this!

[Nalin Kumar]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

I read about this somewhere else this morning. That article mentioned this is the 4th international airport in Kerala after Kochi, Kozhikode and Trivandrum.

For us, international means 'the Gulf'. But if an airport is frequented by Emirates or Qatar airlines, that is literally a window to the world as they service most of the world themselves more economically.

[mail4ajo]

Nice to see this, but sadly other major areas like Kottayam and Pathanamthitta doesn't even have a local airport.

[Na_sh]

Originally Posted by mail4ajo

Nice to see this, but sadly other major areas like Kottayam and Pathanamthitta doesn't even have a local airport.

What is the point of having an Airport there? Both these places are hardly 100-150 kms away from the nearest airport.

Kochi is 60-70 kms away from Kottayam and Pathanamthitta is less than 150 from both Trivandrum and Kochi airports.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by mail4ajo

Nice to see this, but sadly other major areas like Kottayam and Pathanamthitta doesn't even have a local airport.

What would really help would be a railway station or a good shuttle service to Angamaly station.

[Latheesh]

Had to wait for more than 20+ years (after identifying land) though.

Couple of videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Det-q9t-w8I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-2i9pkDAaI

[BaCkSeAtDrIVeR]

Flying, including security and check in takes lot less time than traveliing by road.

The babus and politicos shuttling between Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur was shooting every few months due to inadequate roads. That is why the airport was completed. IIRC, the spv was formed in 2006.

[TKMCE]

remember a hop on hop off operated by Kingfisher from Trivandrum to Goa and back connecting all airports in between (COK, CCJ and IXE). This was of course during the king of good times!

One of the many impractical ideas which accelerated the airline's bankruptcy.

That route was a disaster and should never have been operated.

Kerala may now have four airports but three of them are too far away from the city centre with the ride to down town taking an average of 75- 90 minutes. TRV is the only exception.

Spending anywhere upto 3 hours in total to travel to/from COK and CCJ airports, defeats the whole purpose of taking a half hour flight between the two cities. There are exceptions, the most notable being the long running "High Command/Politburo" Darshan (my pet name) daily service operated between Trivandrum and Delhi by Air India via Kochi which with its early morning departure from Trivandrum ( 6 AM) and late evening departure from Kochi (10 PM) at least provides practical timings and gets a fairly good number of passengers between the two cities (TRV/COK).


But stand alone services between the various airports in Kerala is not going to be viable in the foreseeable future. In fact the acclaimed Kochi airport will soon find a place in many airport planning /management text books (if it has not done so already) as a case study of how to mismanage public transport access. Some of the money invested on convention centres and golf courses by the airport company should be diverted to improve last mile connectivity to the airport by public transport.

[aroonanand]

Originally Posted by TKMCE

In fact the acclaimed Kochi airport will soon find a place in many airport planning /management text books (if it has not done so already) as a case study of how to mismanage public transport access. Some of the money invested on convention centres and golf courses by the airport company should be diverted to improve last mile connectivity to the airport by public transport.

Isnt this intentional to humor the local taxi folks who are the vote banks? I was in Kochi couple of weeks back and was surprised to see literally zero bus-shuttle services between Aluva (where the metro ends) and the airport... Probably a 10 km distance. Our Ola driver proudly claimed how the taxi mafia ensured that no bus shuttle runs betwen Aluva Metri and airport, and how KSRTC also reduced the Volvo services from the airport to the city so that taxis get more business.

After all, this is a country which votes based on a few plates of biriyanis, a few hundred rupees and some sops doled out a week before election (who cares what the govt did in last few years when they were in power) and the mantris should then give back to the community which elected them !!