Cial to get approach radar in three months

ALAPPUZHA: An approach radar will be installed at the Cochin International Airport within three months, Union minister of state for civil aviation K C Venugopal said here on Monday.

With the setting up of the radar, aircraft can avoid procedural delays while landing and the air traffic control can guide the plane to descend.

Addressing an event organised by the Press Club here, Venugopal said that the radar would also help in forecasting weather conditions.

The new system would avoid situations like the recent diversion of an Air India Express flight to Thiruvananthapuram that ended in a hijack drama.

"The number of Air India Express flights to the Middle East has been augmented from 92 services to 119. Flights to Mumbai from Kerala have also been increased from 11 to 17 services," he said.

The minister said officials had visited Kochi on Monday to examine the possibilities of providing better catering service and entertainment facilities in budget airlines. "The Thiruvananthapuram-Riyadh Air India flight, with a seating capacity of 425 passengers, would be reintroduced from December 5. The Kozhikode-Jeddah Air India flight, which earlier used to be Kochi-Kozhikode-Jeddah, will be flying from Kochi from December 6,'' Venugopal said.

To a specific question on Air Kerala, the minister replied that the civil aviation ministry would examine if the conditions-20 aircraft and five year's domestic flying experience-- for international operations could be relaxed.

Venugopal assured that the construction of a bypass in Alappuzha would begin in three months. "It will be completed as a special project .The estimated cost for the project is Rs 200 crore,'' he said.

The cost of the bypass would be equally shared by the Centre and the state. Though the Centre has decided to convert the National Highway 47 into a four-lane stretch, the bypass would have only two lanes.

The bypass would not be constructed on build and operate model, Venugopal said, adding that the National Highway Authority of India has been entrusted with its construction.

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