Work on Rs. 800 crore terminal at Cochin Airport to begin

[janon]

are you suggesting that Kerala does not require hospitals and schools because economy is run by expats and tourists ?

that need for basic amenities of education and health are superseded by needs of having airports in small cities like Kannur ???

Kerala's access to health and education are comparable to the best in the world. Only the Nordic countries have comparable levels of those social indicators. No child goes unschooled in Kerala. Your concerns are misplaced.

such humongous investment won't come without governmental facilitation ...

how much precious tax payers money has been lost in form of various waivers given for this project only God knows ???

Nothing can be entirely private ....when project of this nature is concerned .

I am not against building airports ... or any infrastructure for that matter .

question is whether a city like Kannur needs airport with 800 crores tag or it could have done with less swanky air port at lesser cost ???

Resources are always limited no matter how developed a country or region may be !!!

Look at it as an investment rather than wastage. If it brings in more money than is spent on it, it is a good thing. There is no dearth of foreign travellers in northern Kerala.

 

[Koovie]

such humongous investment won't come without governmental facilitation ...

how much precious tax payers money has been lost in form of various waivers given for this project only God knows ???

Nothing can be entirely private ....when project of this nature is concerned .

I am not against building airports ... or any infrastructure for that matter .

question is whether a city like Kannur needs airport with 800 crores tag or it could have done with less swanky air port at lesser cost ???

Resources are always limited no matter how developed a country or region may be !!!

I didnt say that all costs will be carried by privates investors, however most of the costs will be carried by private investors, who can see the massive profits lying in this project in Kannur. Most people are happily waiting for a new airport in Kannur.
It will create, infrastructure, jobs and countless new opportunities. If the people are against it, they will raise their voice, dont worry about us.
And who said the Kannur Airport will cost 800 cr. ? Thats the cost for the new CIAL terminal.

 

[Indo-guy]

Kerala's access to health and education are comparable to the best in the world. Only the Nordic countries have comparable levels of those social indicators. No child goes unschooled in Kerala. Your concerns are misplaced.



Look at it as an investment rather than wastage. If it brings in more money than is spent on it, it is a good thing. There is no dearth of foreign travellers in northern Kerala.

I am not against the investments ...but investments in creating " White elephants " is certainly not good for India .

Even if it is so called ' private' air port ....it must necessarily have come with public facilitation.

The loss to public ex chequre in terms of land allotted at throwaway price and other facilities provided may be humongous ....

The alacrity with which the project is being completed smells of corruption.

Don't we know how efficient are the politicians and bureaucrats when it comes to doling out public properties to private players with aim to corner the large chunk of it for themselves ???

whether a small city with 1.5 million population needs 800 crore air port ??? and at what cost to public at large that's the question needs to be asked !


The list of private and governmental air ports build with pomp and left unused subsequently , in India is too long enough ...to make space for another airport ....!

 

[Manvantaratruti]

I am not against the investments ...but investments in creating " White elephants " is certainly not good for India .
Even if it is so called ' private' air port ....it must necessarily have come with public facilitation.
The loss to public ex chequre in terms of land allotted at throwaway price and other facilities provided may be humongous ....
The alacrity with which the project is being completed smells of corruption.
Don't we know how efficient are the politicians and bureaucrats when it comes to doling out public properties to private players with aim to corner the large chunk of it for themselves ???
whether a small city with 1.5 million population needs 800 crore air port ??? and at what cost to public at large that's the question needs to be asked !
The list of private and governmental air ports build with pomp and left unused subsequently , in India is too long enough ...to make space for another airport ....!

I agree with your general observation that all the new and expensive Airports in India are white elephants. I am just telling you that in Kannur it is not.

 

[Indo-guy]

If the people are against it, they will raise their voice, dont worry about us.
And who said the Kannur Airport will cost 800 cr. ? Thats the cost for the new CIAL terminal.

Don't worry about us ???

I find that expression of yours as very insulting to me as an Indian ...as you just told me that I am someone outsider ...



and second part . if terminal alone is going to cost 800 crore then it is good news or bad news ???

 

[janon]

I am not against the investments ...but investments in creating " White elephants " is certainly not good for India .

Even if it is so called ' private' air port ....it must necessarily have come with public facilitation.

The loss to public ex chequre in terms of land allotted at throwaway price and other facilities provided may be humongous ....

The alacrity with which the project is being completed smells of corruption.

Don't we know how efficient are the politicians and bureaucrats when it comes to doling out public properties to private players with aim to corner the large chunk of it for themselves ???

whether a small city with 1.5 million population needs 800 crore air port ??? and at what cost to public at large that's the question needs to be asked !


The list of private and governmental air ports build with pomp and left unused subsequently , in India is too long enough ...to make space for another airport ....!

It will definitely not be a white elephant. It will not merely serve the city of Kannur, but the entire malabar region of Kerala - ie, the northern third of the state. In that thickly populated region, every house has at least one member working in the gulf. In all income groups, from manual labourers to plumbers to electricians to nurses to engineers and doctors. In countries like Bahrain and Qatar, there are more Malayalees than Bahrainians or Qataris. The money invested in building the airport will be recouped within a few years, and will bring in a helluva lot more value than was spent on it. The very fact that private players are eager to invest should tll you that it is a financially viable and profitable enterprise.

Don't worry about us ???

I find that expression of yours as very insulting to me as an Indian ...as you just told me that I am someone outsider ...



and second part . if terminal alone is going to cost 800 crore then it is good news or bad news ???

As pointed out to you, the 800 crore figure is the cost of the new terminal at Cochin airport, not the cost of a new airport at Kannur. I would expect it to cost a lot more. And I would expect it to bring in several times more. How much do you think an airport should cost to build anyway?

 

[Indo-guy]

I agree with your general observation that all the new and expensive Airports in India are white elephants. I am just telling you that in Kannur it is not.

let me tell you the number of unused air ports in India is ever growing ...

It will definitely not be a white elephant. It will not merely serve the city of Kannur, but the entire malabar region of Kerala - ie, the northern third of the state. In that thickly populated region, every house has at least one member working in the gulf. In all income groups, from manual labourers to plumbers to electricians to nurses to engineers and doctors. In countries like Bahrain and Qatar, there are more Malayalees than Bahrainians or Qataris. The money invested in building the airport will be recouped within a few years, and will bring in a helluva lot more value than was spent on it. The very fact that private players are eager to invest should tll you that it is a financially viable and profitable enterprise.


As pointed out to you, the 800 crore figure is the cost of the new terminal at Cochin airport, not the cost of a new airport at Kannur. I would expect it to cost a lot more. And I would expect it to bring in several times more. How much do you think an airport should cost to build anyway?

what possible returns an air port for a city with mere million and half population which is not even a major tourist destination can bring ??? that too for investment of 800 crores ....and we do not no how much of public property and largesse has been splurged on this project ???
I had not even heard of Kannur till today ( I do not wish to hurt anybody's sentiments here ...)
so what makes you so sure that Kannur won't go the way other air ports in India has gone ....
Time will tell ....
Time is the best adjudicator among all disputes ...it resolves all disputes without exception !
so we will know in future ....whether 800 crores worth new terminal for Kannur was justified or not !

 

[janon]

let me tell you the number of unused air ports in India is ever growing ...

what possible returns an air port for a city with mere million and half population which is not even a major tourist destination can bring ??? that too for investment of 800 crores ....and we do not no how much of public property and largesse has been splurged on this project ???

I had not even heard of Kannur till today ( I do not wish to hurt anybody's sentiments here ...)


so what makes you so sure that Kannur won't go the way other air ports in India has gone ....

Time will tell ....


Time is the best adjudicator among all disputes ...it resolves all disputes without exception !

so we will know in future ....whether 800 crores worth new terminal for Kannur was justified or not !

Repeat - the airport is not meant to serve only Kannur, but the entire northern third of Kerala, ie the Malabar region.

 

[Indo-guy]

It will definitely not be a white elephant. It will not merely serve the city of Kannur, but the entire malabar region of Kerala - ie, the northern third of the state. In that thickly populated region, every house has at least one member working in the gulf. In all income groups, from manual labourers to plumbers to electricians to nurses to engineers and doctors. In countries like Bahrain and Qatar, there are more Malayalees than Bahrainians or Qataris. The money invested in building the airport will be recouped within a few years, and will bring in a helluva lot more value than was spent on it. The very fact that private players are eager to invest should tll you that it is a financially viable and profitable enterprise.


As pointed out to you, the 800 crore figure is the cost of the new terminal at Cochin airport, not the cost of a new airport at Kannur. I would expect it to cost a lot more. And I would expect it to bring in several times more. How much do you think an airport should cost to build anyway?

here is the list of Unused air ports in India ...

This is old data

Unused Airports in India
27-Nov-2009

There are 32 airports belonging to Airports Authority of India (AAI) which are non-operational (Unused).
They are Cuddapah, Donakonda and Warangal in Andhra Pradesh; Passighat in Arunachal Pradesh; Rupsi in Assam; Jogbani, Muzaffarpur and Raxaul in Bihar; Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh; Deesa in Gujarat; Chakulia in Jharkhand; Mysore in Karnataka; Khandwa, Panna and Satna in Madhya Pradesh; Akola, Solapur and Jalgaon in Mahrashtra; Shella in Meghalaya; Aizwal in Mizoram; Jharsuguda in Orissa; Kishangarh in Rajasthan; Vellore in Tamil Nadu; Kailashahar, Kamalpur and Khowai in Tripura; Asansol, Balurghat, Behala and Malda in West Bengal & Jhansi and Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh.
Expenditure incurred on the maintenance of some of these 32 non-operational airports during the last 3 years as well as the loss incurred at these airports are as under. The expenditure made and loss occurred (Rs. In lakhs) are in bracket:-
For the year 2006-07 – Cuddapah (10.51,10.47), Jogbani (0.50, 0.50), Jharsuguda (78.77, 78.11), Kailshahar (1.24, 1.24), Vellore (6.95, 6.93), Balurghat (4.81, 4.51), Behala (24.88, 24.88) and Malda (23.07, 22.76); for 2007-08 – Cuddapah (14.50, 14.48), Jharsuguda (83.73, 83.37), Vellore (11.12, 10.81), Balurghat (10.48, 10.48), Behala (51.36, 43.64) and Malda (36.48, 36.48), and for 2008-09 – Cuddapah (42.33, 41.86), Mysore (13.88, 13.88), Jharsuguda (154.79, 154.79), Vellore (18.78, 18.79), Balurghat (10.76, 10.76), Behala (112.59, 112.59) and Malda (56.41, 56.41).
Cooch Behar in West Bengal and Akola and Solapur in Maharashtra were made operational in the last three years. Mysore Airport in Karnataka will be made operational in 2009-10.
This information was given by Shri Praful Patel, Minister of Civil Aviation in Lok Sabha today.
(c) Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation. Date posted: 27-Nov-09
In-depth analysis of the Indian airline and airport sectors, including
latest traffic and financial reports and outlooks, is available each month
in the Monthly Essential India.
http://centreforaviation.com/minisites/mei/




what makes you think that Kannur will not be one of them ???

 

[janon]

...
what makes you think that Kannur will not be one of them ???

Explained in post number 21.

 

[Indo-guy]

Repeat - the airport is not meant to serve only Kannur, but the entire northern third of Kerala, ie the Malabar region.

There already is Calicut international airport to serve the region besides ...Mangalore airport which is just 173 km away .

the days with ever increasing flying costs and domestic airlines going bankrupt ...I do not see why Kannur won't be a white elephant ....

There had been news of 326 air strips , air field and 32 air ports rendered totally un manned and un used

Kannur which is not some big tourist place ...I do not see why it should have air port worth 800 crores ....

I do not see where the hell traffic is going to come from ....



Nationwide alert: states told to secure 350 airports - Indian Express

In an unprecedented exercise to secure Indian airspace, the Government has ordered that all possible security loopholes be plugged at every airport and airstrip, many of them located in remote corners and little known places across the country.
The exercise, launched in the wake of the slide in ties with Pakistan after the Mumbai terror attacks, is intended to thwart any attempt by terrorist groups to hijack these facilities for carrying out aerial strikes.
A detailed list of 326 unmanned, abandoned or mostly unused airports and airstrips has been sent by the Civil Aviation Ministry to all state governments with the instruction that district administrations be directed to "closely monitor and regularly check all such airstrips in their respective jurisdiction". A separate list of 32 airports, managed by the Airports Authority of India but not operational, has also been circulated.
The Centre has cautioned the states that the list is not exhaustive. "District authorities may also be directed to undertake thorough verification of all such airstrips in their jurisdiction including those not mentioned in the two lists," states the letter sent by Civil Aviation Secretary M Madhavan Nambiar to all chief secretaries.
All state governments have been asked to submit an action taken report by the end of January.
Intelligence inputs after the Mumbai terror attacks warned of the possible use of unused airstrips by terrorist organisations, prompting a review at the "highest level" of the security set-up in airports across the country. On the table were measures to prevent any intrusion into Indian airspace and any misuse of airstrips by terrorists or subversive elements. Defence Minister A K Antony also held consultations with chiefs of all the armed forces to take stock of the preparedness to thwart possible misuse of airspace.
Many of these airports lie in strategic areas in Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan and North-Eastern states while others are located in little-known places like Iradatganj in UP, Panga in West Bengal, Nagda in Madhya Pradesh, Parsoli in Gujarat and Phaltan in Maharashtra.

Repeat - the airport is not meant to serve only Kannur, but the entire northern third of Kerala, ie the Malabar region.

There already is Calicut international airport to serve the region besides ...Mangalore airport which is just 173 km away .

the days with ever increasing flying costs and domestic airlines going bankrupt ...I do not see why Kannur won't be a white elephant ....

There had been news of 326 air strips , air field and 32 air ports rendered totally un manned and un used

Kannur which is not some big tourist place ...I do not see why it should have air port worth 800 crores ....

I do not see where the hell traffic is going to come from ....



Nationwide alert: states told to secure 350 airports - Indian Express

In an unprecedented exercise to secure Indian airspace, the Government has ordered that all possible security loopholes be plugged at every airport and airstrip, many of them located in remote corners and little known places across the country.
The exercise, launched in the wake of the slide in ties with Pakistan after the Mumbai terror attacks, is intended to thwart any attempt by terrorist groups to hijack these facilities for carrying out aerial strikes.
A detailed list of 326 unmanned, abandoned or mostly unused airports and airstrips has been sent by the Civil Aviation Ministry to all state governments with the instruction that district administrations be directed to "closely monitor and regularly check all such airstrips in their respective jurisdiction". A separate list of 32 airports, managed by the Airports Authority of India but not operational, has also been circulated.
The Centre has cautioned the states that the list is not exhaustive. "District authorities may also be directed to undertake thorough verification of all such airstrips in their jurisdiction including those not mentioned in the two lists," states the letter sent by Civil Aviation Secretary M Madhavan Nambiar to all chief secretaries.
All state governments have been asked to submit an action taken report by the end of January.
Intelligence inputs after the Mumbai terror attacks warned of the possible use of unused airstrips by terrorist organisations, prompting a review at the "highest level" of the security set-up in airports across the country. On the table were measures to prevent any intrusion into Indian airspace and any misuse of airstrips by terrorists or subversive elements. Defence Minister A K Antony also held consultations with chiefs of all the armed forces to take stock of the preparedness to thwart possible misuse of airspace.
Many of these airports lie in strategic areas in Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan and North-Eastern states while others are located in little-known places like Iradatganj in UP, Panga in West Bengal, Nagda in Madhya Pradesh, Parsoli in Gujarat and Phaltan in Maharashtra.

 

[Koovie]

Don't worry about us ???

I find that expression of yours as very insulting to me as an Indian ...as you just told me that I am someone outsider ...



and second part . if terminal alone is going to cost 800 crore then it is good news or bad news ???

This is a local thing, state matters.... anyways, the new CIAL terminal will be world class, thats why its gonna cost that much.

 

[Indo-guy]

Explained in post number 21.

we will see ...
My only worry is that every cent and every rupee is important .
and it is too difficult to trust politicians .

I pray that you will be proven correct and I will be proven wrong !!!

 

[janon]

There already is Calicut international airport to serve the region besides ...Mangalore airport which is just 173 km away .

the days with ever increasing flying costs and domestic airlines going bankrupt ...I do not see why Kannur won't be a white elephant ....

There had been news of 326 air strips , air field and 32 air ports rendered totally un manned and un used

Kannur which is not some big tourist place ...I do not see why it should have air port worth 800 crores ....

I do not see where the hell traffic is going to come from ....

Repeat, third and last time. Kannur itself is irrelevant, it is for the whole region. It is a region where millions of people work in the gulf. Calicut and Cochin cannot cope up with the traffic anymore. It will hugely improve efficiency to create a new airport. It is also infrastructure, just like roads and ports. Stop giving me stories of unused airports in Agartala or Jalgaon, it is irrelevant. Northern Kerala is very different. Millions and milions of people have to fly from and to that place every year.

There are also unused roads in some places, so should we stop building roads everywhere?

 

[Indo-guy]

This is a local thing, state matters.... anyways, the new CIAL terminal will be world class, thats why its gonna cost that much.

If it is local thing and state matters what it is doing on International Defence Forum ???