
MIAC dusts off proposal for Thiruvambady airport
The Hindu
AAI, State govt. have expressed inability to acquire land for Calicut airport expansion
With the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the State government expressing their inability to acquire land for the expansion of the Calicut airport, several groups under the aegis of the Malabar International Airport Committee (MIAC) have dusted off an old proposal for an airport at Thiruvambady in Kozhikode district.
Five years ago, the Malabar Development Council (MDC) had mooted a proposal for the new airport when the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) banned the operation of wide-bodied aircraft at the Calicut International Airport. Land for a greenfield airport was identified in 2,165 acres of an estate having helipad facilities at Thiruvambady.
MDC president C.E. Chakkunny said an expert panel had inspected the site a decade ago and had submitted a report that the area stretched across three grama panchayats was suitable for a greenfield airport.