Kerala rains: Kochi airport resumes flight operations

KOCHI: Nearly two hours after stopping arrival operation at 1.10 pm, Cochin International Airport Limited (Cial) resumed all its operations at 3.05 pm on Thursday afternoon.
“We have assessed that the situation has improved and we are resuming all operations from 3.05 pm, Thursday,” said a Cial spokesperson.
The Cochin International Airport had stopped its arrival operation from 1.10pm about 40 minutes after a shutter of the Idukki dam was raised 50 cm at 12.30 pm on Thursday.
Nedumbassery, where the Airport is located, was one among the areas which was expected to be affected due to the inflow of water from the dams through the Periyar.
However, the operations were resumed hours after flights to Kochi was diverted or held back at other airports. The trial run of the dam by opening one of the shutters at 12.30 pm has been going on for three hours and would be over in another hour.
Meanwhile, with water flooding a town near the airport, five units of police has been deployed in the area. The force is expected to act in case of an emergency including irate commuters.