Kochi: The Cochin International Airport at Nedumbassery in Kerala's Ernakulam district would resume services from Sunday 12pm as floodwater has started to recede from its premises.
Works to clean up the apron area have started. The airport runway would be made completely safe, Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) director stated.
Authorities expect to completely restore the functioning of the airport by Sunday. More than 10 motors are being used to pump out the water.
Six of the eight planes, which were stranded at the airport, have departed without passengers to other airports to resume services for other destinations. The other two planes would fly out with passengers on Sunday, the CIAL said on its Facebook page.
The airport had to be shut after water from the Chengal canal, a tributary of the nearby Periyar River, seeped into the runway. Earlier, it was decided to shut the airport till 3pm on Sunday.
The airport operations were suspended since Thursday evening after water entered the taxi way. A part of the airport wall also collapsed in the heavy rain. Thousands of passengers were affected after more than 250 domestic and international flights had to be cancelled due to the airport's closure.
The airport was rendered non-functional for a fortnight in August 2018 too due to floods.
The estimated loss was then put between Rs 220-250 crore.
