Kochi airport to reopen on August 29

The Kochi airport, shut since August 15 due to heavy flooding after rains devastated Kerala, will reopen on August 29, three days later than earlier announced. The airport had yesterday said it would resume operations on August 26, Sunday, according to NDTV.

Officials said the opening had been put off by three days as 90 per cent of the staff had been affected by Kerala’s worst flooding in a century and they needed to report to work.

“In view of concern expressed by stakeholders of airlines and ground staff that 90 per cent of their staffers got affected by the flood, CIAL (Cochin International Airport Limited) has decided to extend the date of resuming operations for three more days, operations will start on 29 August,” the Cochin Airport said.

The airport, which has suffered an estimated loss of over Rs. 2.20 billion, was closed on August 15 after it was flooded when various dams in Idukki district opened their sluice gates in the wake of torrential rains.

The airport was first closed on August 9, for a few hours, and then on August 15. The Cochin airport is one of three airports in Kerala and also the busiest.

The runway, taxi bay, duty free shops and other areas of international and domestic terminals were also submerged, causing damage to electrical equipment including runway lights.

The solar power system of the world’s first solar-powered airport also suffered damage in the floods, an official had said.

“We have launched efforts on a war-footing to rebuild the damaged infrastructure. Our initial assessment is that we have suffered an estimated loss of Rs. 2.20 billion in the floods,” the official said, adding around 200 workers have been engaged to clean up the terminal building.