COCHIN, 21 August 2005 — The proposed budget airline of the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) operating on the Kerala-Gulf sector will be a reality by the yearend subject to federal clearance. Inaugurating the new international arrival terminal and India’s first apron for Airbus-380 here, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who is also chairman of the company, said the low-cost airline would operate on the Kerala-Gulf sector.

“The CIAL would hold 51 percent stake in the company and the remaining would go for private placement,” he said. Indian aviation rules do not allow any airline to operate international flights without first flying three years in the domestic circuit and the state government is planning to approach Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for relaxing these rules. “We hope there would be no huddles since this is an airline promoted by a state government in public-private partnership and we have started opening our skies,” Chandy later said.

The board of directors of the company formed a three-member subcommittee with Managing Director V.J. Kurian as chairman and M.A. Yousuf Ali and C.V. Jacob as members to look into the fleet acquisition and staff recruitment. It has been asked to submit its report before Nov. 1, the deadline for the consultancy firm Ernst and Young to submit its techno-feasibility study.

The CIAL banks heavily on Kerala NRIs to invest in the company as well as their “captive patronage” ensured through discounted tickets. It hopes to cut down on the overheads with free landing facilities available to the airport’s own airline. This would also be the first Indian airline attached to an airport giving it a competitive edge.

A new duty free shop, the biggest in India, was also opened at the new terminal complex yesterday showcasing top international brands at the region’s lowest price.

Coke Gets Closure Notice From State Regulator

The Kerala pollution control board yesterday asked iconic US soft drinks major Coca-Cola to close down its bottling plant in Palghat district immediately. The board’s chairman G. Rajmohan said Coca-Cola was served a show-cause notice last month and was given a personal hearing. But it failed to disclose the toxic content in the sludge discharged by the plant and presence of cadmium beyond permissible level. They were also not able to provide drinking water in a satisfying manner to local community.

Karunakaran Gets Red Signal

Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) that leads opposition Left Democratic Front (LDF) has dashed hopes of former Chief Minister K. Karunakaran’s National Congress (Indira) yesterday by refusing to have a tie-up with it for next month’s civic polls. “The recently held state committee meet of the party decided against having an electoral pact or understanding with the NC (I) but would explore possibilities for having some understanding with a few individuals or groups at the local level,” the CPI-M state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters in Cannanore.

He said the CPI-M would also maintain its relationship with the Indian National League (INL) without accommodating the party founded by late Ibrahim Suleiman Sait.

Cochin to Host Biggest Tourism Event

The port city of Cochin will host the 21st annual convention of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) Aug. 26-29. Billed as the biggest tourism promotion event in the country, some 1,000 top notch tourism professionals in the country are expected to attend the event, Kerala Association of Tour Operators chairman E.M. Najeeb said. Federal ministers Praful Patel, Renuka Chowdhary and E Ahamed, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and tourism ministers from several states are expected for the event that would discuss the open skies policy, future tourism products like rural and medical tourism, incredible India, incredible boom and similar issues..

Madhavan dead

Veteran Malayalam stage and film actor O. Madhavan died at a private hospital in Cochin aged 82. Madhavan, father of top film star Mukesh, had acted in more than 100 plays and in several films. He won the Kerala state best actor award for the film Sayahnam in 2000 at the age of 77. He also leaves behind wife Vijayakumari, daughters Sandhya and Saumya, daughter-in-law Saritha and son-in-law Rajendran, all popular actors.