The Kerala government has proposed to set up a feeder airport in the tourism-oriented Wayanad district.
The Airports Authority of India had suggested a 100-hectare site at Panamaram, Nadavayal village. The government plans to construct the airport in the public-private partnership mode.
The Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) has been entrusted with the techno, economic feasibility study and environment impact assessment of the project. Knight Frank India Limited has been appointed to prepare the techno economic feasibility report and the environment impact assessment. Both the reports will be submitted in six months and the government will take further measures, a KSIDC release said.
The airport is aimed at boosting the connectivity to the district, which has several tourism spots. The airport will enhance the tourists inflow to the district. At present, Wayanad is connected only through roads. Feeder airport will offer connectivity to the nearest international airports like Kochi and Kozhikode. The government also plans to have other supplementary infrastructure facilities in the area to stimulate economic activity in the backward district, which has the highest adivasi population in Kerala.
