The administrative block of Indian Coast Guard Air Enclave here at Nedumbassery was inaugurated today by Director General of Coast Guard Rajendra Singh.
The inauguration of the administrative block is the first major step towards setting up of a full-fledged air enclave, which will ensure 24x7 air operations from CIAL airport, the Coast Guard said in a release.
It would also be a big step towards safeguarding the Indian exclusive economic zone and to carry out Coast Guard charter of duties as mandated by Government of India, it added.
The facility will be operationalised in the near future, the release said.
Addressing the gathering, Rajendra Singh highlighted the various initiatives taken by Coast Guard in the recent past to expand and strengthen the aviation fleet as well as surface crafts and infrastructural developments apart from plans to activate various air establishments in the near future.
Once fully activated, the CGAE at Kochi would commence air operations on the Western Seaboard of India, extending from the coastal states of Goa to Kerala and Lakshadweep Islands as well as in the exclusive economic zones of friendly neighbouring nations.
Additional Director General K Natarajan, Coast Guard Commander (Western Seaboard), Inspector General KR Nautiyal, Commander Coast Guard Region (West), Rear Admiral RJ Nadkarni, Chief of Staff, Southern Naval Command, Dinesh Kumar C, Deputy General Manager (Operations), CIAL besides senior officials from Indian Navy and Indian Army were present.
The establishment of a full-fledged Coast Guard Air Enclave was conceptualised in the year 2007 with acquisition of 10.02 acres of land adjacent to Cochin International Airport Limited, Nedumbassery and the construction commenced in 2013.
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