more-in With the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) banning the operation of wide-bodied aircraft at Calicut airport, the Malabar Development Council (MDC) has stepped up its demand for sanctioning the proposed airport at Thiruvambady in the district. Sabarimala airport The demand comes close on the heels of the State Cabinet approving the Sabarimala greenfield international airport in Central Travancore near Erumeli town in Kottayam district. Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha told the Lok Sabha on Thursday that the DGCA had not granted permission for wide-bodied aircraft operation from the Calicut airport as the length of the runway was inadequate. So, a new airport could be constructed in 2,165 acres of estate land at Thiruvambady for the benefit of farmers in the hill region of Malabar, said MDC president C.E. Chakkunny. He said an expert panel had inspected the site at Thiruvambady estate in 2011, and had submitted a report stating that the area was suitable for a greenfield airport. The documents relating to the Ministry of Civil Aviation agreeing in principle to the proposal had been submitted to the State government for preparing a site plan. Mr. Chakkunny said about 10 companies had come forward to construct the airport and several NRI organisations in the UAE had expressed keen interest in the project. The Thiruvambady grama panchayat had been affirmative in this regard. The MDC had decided to take up the issue with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan when he visits Kozhikode on July 28. He said the Ministry of Civil Aviation had been positively responding to the regional aspirations of State governments to set up airports. The Karnataka government was planning to construct an airport at Udupi though the State already had four airports. Eighteen new airports had been sanctioned in other States, including Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. The UDAN scheme envisaged as part of the National Aviation Policy of the Centre would make flying cheaper, added Mr. Chakkunny.

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