KOZHIKODE, 3 November 2007 — Haj flights from Kerala will start on Nov. 21 and continue till Dec. 6, according to Kerala Haj Committee Chairman Abdul Hamid.
Some 7,904 pilgrims, including 295 from the federally-administered Lakshadweep Islands and 31 from Mahe, will be going on Haj this year through the official channel.
There will be a total of 31 direct flights to Jeddah. Pilgrims proceeding to Haj between Nov. 21 and Nov. 28 will go to Madinah after Umrah and return to Makkah for Haj while others will proceed to Madinah only after performing Haj, he said.
Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan will inaugurate the Haj House near the airport on Nov. 5.
Air Traffic Increases
Kerala has recorded more than 100 percent increase in air services during the last three years, both to the Gulf region as well as within India. According to figures available with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the total number of flights per week from Thiruvananthapuram is 103, of which 47 are by Indian carriers and 56 by foreign airlines.
In 2004, the total flights per week from the city stood at 54 — 18 by Indian carriers and 36 by foreign airlines. Kochi now gets a total of 120 services per week (62 by Indian carriers and 58 by foreign carriers) as against 61 flights in 2004. The airport in Kozhikode, which received 43 weekly flights in 2004, now receives 90 per week, of which 82 are by Indian carriers and the rest by foreign airlines.
Kochi to Host Coir Fair
The India International Coir Fair 2007 will be held in the port city from Dec. 7 to Dec. 11, according to a press release. The fair being organized by the Coir Board is intended to serve as a platform for various segments of India’s coir industry to explore new avenues of growth. It will also offer buyers from across the world an opportunity to see India’s best coir products. Besides buyer-seller interactions, the event will also include an international seminar. The seminar will address major issues being faced by the coir industry.
