Leela Ventures bifurcates from hospitality, plans airport 20 Feb 2006 - PTI
Panaji: With a view to promote tourism in Kerala, Leela ventures is planning to set up a 100 per cent private airport at Kannur, that would take shape within three years. "Kannur has a garment park, IT Park and horticulture park and it needs an airport. Leela will be setting up the project here which will be the first 100 per cent private airport in the country," Leela Venture Chairman C P Krishnan Nair told PTI. "Around 300 acres of land has already been acquired for the project in north Kerala and another 1,000 acre of land would be acquired after state legislative assembly elections scheduled in May," he said. Airports in states like Kerala have good revenue potentials as Cochin airport made 65 crore profit this year, he added. The Leela venture chairman, however, was critical of the planned international airport at Mopa in Goa. "Airport at Mopa in north Goa would benefit Maharashtra not Goa. Best deal is to shift naval base from existing Dabolim airport to Karwar (Karnataka) and improve the Dabolim airport," he said. "800 acres of land at Dabolim airport is left unused. We have two runways at Dabolim and we can add another one", Nair said. The proposed airport at Mopa lacks the facility of a super express highway and tourists would not be comfortable travelling from there, he added. ~(^^)~ Avelino