CIAL to start Diploma in Aircraft Maintenance with DGCA help

Kochi, May 24 (UNI) The Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) will start a three-year Diploma Course in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering with the guidance of Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), CIAL Managing Director C G Krishnadas Nair said.

Talking to newspersons here, he said yesterday that the course would be highly beneficial to the students in the State. Earlier, Exhorbitant fees were being collected for the course in other parts of the country, but CIAL proposes to charge nominal fees to ensure a bright future for the meritorious students, who were coming from Below Poverty Line(BPL) category, he added.

Mr Nair said the CIAL would spend its revenue for the Airport staff and welfare of the public. The expansion work of the International Terminal in the Airport would be completed by the end of the year, he added.

He said the Domestic Terminal would be expanded within one year. A Committee of Management, a body constituted by the CIAL recently, would review all the pending schemes of the Airport within three months, he stated.

The Managing Director said CIAL has Planned to construct a State-of-the Art International Convention Centre in the Airport premises. Budget Hotels to facilitate tourists was on the card, he quipped.

Mr Nair said steps would be taken to increase the revenue of the Airport in a systematic and phased manner. Duty-Free-Shop would be set up in Domestic Terminal to promote sales and export of indigenous products, he stated.

He said CIAL witnessed 30.34 per cent in Passenger movement for March 2008. 27.69 per cent growth was recorded at Aircraft movement in the Airport.

With the commencement of Baharain Air service in Bahrain-Kochi sector from Monday, Kochi Airport would have 18 airlines operating their services here.

Airport Director ACK Nair, was among others, present on the occasion.

UNI XR TSM AE NS0911