Air India Express has launched a new route between Kannur International Airport in Kerala and Abu Dhabi, with additional connections to Dubai and Sharjah in the pipeline.
Tickets for the inaugural journey between the two airports went live on Monday, selling out of some tickets within minutes due to high demand.
The first international flight from Kannur airport will leave for Abu Dhabi on December 9, the day the airport is set to open.
Tickets start from Dh549 each way, offering a low cost route home for Keralese residents of the UAE.
There are an estimated 800,000 people from Kerala living in the country and Kannur airport expects to receive 1.5 million visitors each year.
Air India Express is currently the only carrier running international flights out of the south India airport, but the state has four other airports in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode, the first in India to do so.
An Air India Express flight conducted a flight trial at Kannur International Airport on 20th September 2018. The Boeing 737/800 carried out a total of six approaches for the DVOR approach procedure check.#KANNUR #kannurairport #Airport #Kerala #travel #Tourism #AirIndia #flight pic.twitter.com/teEsmBwPre
— Kannur International Airport (@airportCNN) September 20, 2018
Kannur airport will open up the north of the state to tourism and business, as well as acting as a cargo hub for the Malabar region of Kerala.
Early images of the airport show a modern terminal with a glass facade and marble floors.
The integrated passenger terminal building design with a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold rating offers passenger convenience, promotes efficient space utilisation and is environmentally friendly. #Kannur #KannurAirport #KeralaAirport #Airport #Kerala pic.twitter.com/UoBUpimYxP
— Kannur International Airport (@airportCNN) October 4, 2018
The runway is due to be extended over the next two years, eventually running four kilometres long.
