Kerala Floods: Kochi airport resumes operations after 15 days; flight from Ahmedabad first to land in two weeks

Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL), which had been non-functional since 14 August due to incessant rains and flooding, resumed operations on Tuesday, reports said. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan tweeted about it and thanked employees of CIAL for their efforts to make the airport operational in a short time.

Cochin International Airport in Kochi (COK), which was closed due to the floods, has commenced its operations. CM Pinarayi Vijayan congratulated the officials and employees of CIAL on making the airport functional in a short time. #KeralaFloods

— CMO Kerala (@CMOKerala) August 29, 2018

The airport became functional at 2 pm on Tuesday, reported The Indian Express. Indigo flight 667 from Ahmedabad was the first flight to land at the airport in two weeks. Thirty-three flights are scheduled to arrive and 30 others are scheduled to depart from the airport on Wednesday. Journalists and media persons were present at the airport to note the landing of the first flight from Ahmedabad.  

Indigo flight 667 from Ahmadabad to Kochi, the first flight in 2 weeks at the CIAL airport, lands and taxies to the gate @IndianExpress pic.twitter.com/r4L7k1iukv

— Vishnu Varma (@VishKVarma) August 29, 2018

The Kochi airport is the seventh busiest in the country but had to shut operations since 15 August after the deluge that ravaged the state of Kerala between 8 and 22 August. The government had to permit commercial flights from the Naval facility in the heart of the city from 20 August. Authorities at the airport had first announced the shutting operations till 18 August, which was then extended to 26 August and further again to 29 August as rising water levels flooded the runway, terminals and the surrounding solar farm.