Thiruvananthapuram: Chief minister V D Satheesan has requested Centre assistance to the tune of around Rs 29,500 crore for airport-related projects and for an integrated airport-port development vision in the state.He submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a series of proposals, including an integrated maritime-aviation gateway and airport logistics network, listing high-priority projects that require the Centre’s support for implementation.Under a comprehensive airport-port development strategy, the state govt has suggested that four airports in Kochi, Kannur, Calicut and Thiruvananthapuram be integrated into a unified logistics and economic ecosystem.“The airport-port network shall function as a unified multimodal ecosystem supporting air cargo exports, maritime-linked transshipment logistics, high-value and time-sensitive exports, perishable cargo ecosystem, global warehousing and re-exports operations, aviation MROs, tourism and cruise connectivity, electronics, pharma and e-commerce logistics, defence and strategic logistics and global maritime crew change hub,” said the memorandum.The integration of Vizhinjam International Seaport with Thiruvananthapuram airport can enable the emergence of a south Asian multimodal logistics gateway supporting global supply chains, export manufacturing and integrated maritime-air cargo operations, Satheesan said in the memorandum.He listed several high-priority projects, scheduled to be completed in three to five years, for partnership with various Union ministries. These include airport-port bonded logistics corridors and multimodal cargo facilities worth Rs 3,000 crore; feasibility studies, land safeguarding and DPR preparation for a secondary runway at Kochi airport worth Rs 2,000 crore; Kochi Aero City and airport economic zone phase I worth Rs 5,000 crore; runway, apron and terminal expansion at Kannur airport worth Rs 3,500 crore; a runway end safety area at Calicut airport worth Rs 2,500 crore; and air cargo villages worth Rs 4,000 crore, among other projects.Aviation-related projects that can be completed in five to 10 years were also included for central assistance. These include wide-body MROs and aircraft maintenance clusters worth Rs 5,000 crore; an aviation training and aircraft maintenance engineering ecosystem worth Rs 2,500 crore; airport AI and digital operations worth Rs 1,500 crore; Kerala Air Cargo and Export Competitiveness Mission worth Rs 3,000 crore; seaplane, waterdrome and cruise-airport tourism connectivity worth Rs 2,000 crore; and airport economic zone expansion and aviation services ecosystem worth Rs 6,500 crore.The memorandum says that these investment projects may be supported through a combination of central assistance under multiple schemes, multilateral financing support and private sector participation in public-private partnership mode.Satheesan also said the proposed integrated maritime-aviation economic region is strategically important as it would reduce India’s dependence on foreign transshipment hubs such as Colombo, Singapore and Dubai; lower logistics costs; enhance the country’s global supply-chain competitiveness; boost manufacturing-led exports; position southern India as a global logistics and manufacturing gateway and strengthen India’s presence in the Indian Ocean region.He also mentioned that the initiative can emerge as a flagship example of cooperative federalism.
