Kodagu: Flight trials were undertaken on Monday at the newly constructed international airport at Mattanur in Kannur district in Kerala, which is about 58 km from Virajpete.
Though the facility is not in the district and is part of the neighbouring state of Kerala, it is expected to provide an impetus to the economic development of the district, especially in the tourism sector.
The construction of the airport is expected to cost a total of Rs 1,892 crore and the project was approved when C?M?Ibrahim, who hails from the State, was the union minister for civil aviation in the Deve Gowda government at the Centre. At present, the Mandakalli airport in Mysuru is the nearest to the district (100 km from Virajpet). The other nearby airports are the Mangaluru airport (160 km from Virajpet) and the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru (250 km from Virajpet), reports Deccan Herald.
Though the official inauguration is slated for a later date, preparations for the trial run on 1,500 mts runway was done on Monday.
The construction of 2,400-metre of the proposed 3,050-metre runway has been completed in the first phase.
As per sources, commercial operations are likely to begin in September this year.
The opening of the airport will put pressure on the Virajpet-Kannur interstate-highway that passes through Virajpet town, the Virajpet-Hunsur highway and the Virajpet-Madikeri highway.
