Kerala Floods: Kochi airport to resume flight operations at12 pm on Aug 11

The Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) has announced on Saturday that the airport will be resuming flight operations at12 pm on Aug 11. The officials announced on a facebook post that "Kochi Airport is ready. Flight operations will begin at 12 noon tomorrow; that is ahead of the deadline." It asked the airlines to facilitate services accordingly. Originally the flight operations were supposed to resume at 3 pm on Sunday, Aug 11.

Earlier today, the airport announced in a Facebook post, "Apron water level is receding. Started cleaning operations. Also successfully carried out ferry operation." It said in a statement 6 aircraft departed (ferry). The remaining two will fly to their destinations tomorrow as scheduled services.

After heavy rainfall, sixty percent pf the operating area of the airport had become submerged and areas including the fire station, goods carrying area and taxiway of Terminal 3 had been inundated.

At least 42 people have died in the floods in Kerala since Thursday. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan met with officials of the State Disaster Management Authority at their control room to oversee the coordination of relief and rescue operations. The Central Water Commission said the water level in some rivers has risen to a dangerous point. Heavy rainfall has been forecast from August 15.