Recarpeting to restrict flights at Kochi

May 31 next, no aircraft would be allowed to take off or land between 10 am and 8 pm on any day during this period. Since December 18, the airport has been remaining closed to aircraft for two hours every day in the afternoon for preparatory work.

The Kozhikode international airport in north Kerala too, has been remaining closed from 10 am to 7 pm for similar reasons for over a year now. Kochi airport accounts for the largest traffic of Gulf-bound workers from the state. Airline sources, however, said none of the nine international carriers operating in and out of Kochi would be decreasing the number of flights. Instead, they will be rescheduling these according to the time restrictions.

8220;Recarpeting the runway is a vital need for any airport, and this can8217;t be wished away,8221; said CIAL8217;s airport director A Chandrakumaran Nair. He said the exact time frame for the effort was still being worked on, 8220;but we are trying to cause the least possible disruptions8221;.

The operational restrictions may not seriously worry most of the international carriers operating more than 60 weekly flights in and out of Kochi, since many already fly in and out before and after the proposed no-fly period.

But Air India its subsidiaries, accounting for most of the day time flights to West Asia would need to drastically rearrange schedules.