Operations at the Cochin International Airport resumed on Sunday after a two-day break following the inundation of the runway area due to water from the nearby Periyar river entering the premises.
"Due to excessive flow of water in the Periyar river, which flows close to the airport, water had entered the airport forcing us to close the airport on Thursday evening. Yesterday onwards, water started flowing out and we also used heavy pumping to make the area fit for use again," ACK Nair, Executive Director, Operations told ANI here.
He added that the management of the airport had taken due care to ensure the services got back to normal in as little time as possible.
"We started cleaning of the area yesterday onwards and after a coordination meeting of all the stakeholders, we took the decision to reopen the airport by 12 pm today. The first flight today was Abu-Dhabi to Cochin, operated by Indigo," Nair said.
Heavy rainfall has wreaked havoc in the state, with more than 70 people losing their lives due to floods and waterlogging.
The National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF), Army and the local police are engaged in rescue operations.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
