Kozhikode: The international airport at nearby Karipur, which had been temporarily shutdown after violence erupted last night following the death of a CISF jawan, began operations this morning with arrival of two flights.
“Operations have become normal”, Airport Director Janardhanan, told PTI. Two Air India Express flights have landed and one flight diverted to Bangalore will be landing shortly, he said.
After personnel of the CISF and Air Airports Authority of India (AAI) clashed with Fire Force department at the airport last night over frisking of an AAI official, a tense situation had prevailed. Following this, at least three flights had been diverted to Kochi’s Nedumbassery airport.
Meanwhile, angry passengers of the Dammam-Kozhikode flight, which was diverted to Kochi early today, said they were made to wait inside the aircraft from 3.30 am to 5.30 am without being served food or water.
“We reached Kochi around 3.30 am this morning and were allowed to leave the aircraft only two hours later”, a woman passenger with a young daughter said.
Another passenger said other than a piece of cake, few chips and a bottle of water served during the flight from Dammam, they have not had any food. In an ugly turn of incidents, a CISF jawan was killed last night and at least three others were injured in a clash between the CISF personnel and airport authority employees at Karipur International airport here.
A dispute over a CISF personnel who insisted that an official of the Fire Force department of AAI undergo security clearance led to a verbal duel between the two and in the ensuing melee the jawan received gunshot injuries and had been killed. There is a heavy posse of police personnel at the airport.
The two flights, which have landed are Doha-Kozhikode and Dubai-Kozhikode flights of Air India Express. Anxious relatives of the passengers, who arrived here this morning, had been waiting at the airport since last night and were relieved to see their dear ones.
