The State Haj Committee will make one last attempt with the Central government to get the Karipur airport for this year’s Haj operations from the State. A meeting of the Haj Committee held at Karipur on Saturday decided to give it one more try at the highest level in Delhi to get the Karipur airport for Haj operations.
The partial closing of the runway at Karipur for major repairs beginning in May is feared to cause shifting of Haj operations from here as wide-bodied aircraft will not be allowed to operate during the re-carpeting work.
Large aircraft
“We need large, wide-bodied aircraft for Haj service. So, let’s try one more time with the Centre if the Airports Authority of India could make some special arrangement for operating large aircraft from Karipur during the repairs,” said State Haj Committee chairman T.M. Bapu Musliar.
Minister in-charge of Haj P.K. Kunhalikutty, however, said shifting of the State’s Haj operations this year to the Cochin international airport at Nedumbassery was being considered as the Karipur airport had difficulties in permitting large aircraft to land there owing to safety issues.
District Collector K. Biju has been entrusted to hold discussions with the officials of the Cochin international airport for making it the State’s embarkation point for Haj this year.
