Aviation Academy to start at Cochin Airport 2009: Official

Nedumbassery, Kerala, Oct 11 (UNI) The proposed Aviation Academy, to be set up by the Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL), will start functioning from the next academic year, CIAL Managing Director Krishnadas Nair said today.

Mr Nair told UNI the academy would offer graduate, post-graduate, diploma and short term certificate courses related to sectors such as aircraft maintenance, construction, administration and management.

Fire and safety, ground handling and retail management in the airport were some of the other subjects to be taught.

Indicating the proposed IT Park Project of CIAL was being dropped, Mr Nair said other IT Parks started in various parts of the State were not fully utilised, However, the company, which set up the country's first private-public sector greenfield airport in the country, is all set to float a professional consultancy unit for constructing airports.

CIAL had a well experienced team to accomplish the task, he added.

However, the proposal to construct an airport in Sri Lanka had not progressed with Colombo not responding after initial enthusiasm, he said.

With the commencement of a centre for perishable cargo next month, Cochin Airport would be made a hub for international cargo movement, he hoped. A meeting of cargo freighter operators would be convened shortly.

On the proposed golf course project on a 126-acre area near the airport, Mr Nair said the project cost of the 18 Hole Golf Course had been scaled down to Rs 18 crore from Rs 60 crore with the CIAL board deciding to go in for indigenous materials.

In the first phase, a Nine Hole Course would be completed before June, 2009. This would include a club house, bowling range and practice ground.

Going completely green, the airport would replace plastic bags at the airport retail shops with biodegradable paper bags.

The Cochin Duty Free (CDF) was also committed to promote the sale of indigenous products like silk, instant food, snacks, sweets, cashew nuts, spices, jewellery, watches and liquor, he added.

UNI XR ARC MIR AS2128