Cochin International airport in India’s Kerala to open on August 26

The Cochin International Airport, which was closed due to flooding in the Indian state of Kerala will reopen on August 26, airport authorities have confirmed.

The airport, one of three international airports in the state, was first closed briefly on August 9 and then on August 15.

Read more: All UAE flights to Kochi cancelled as Indian city closes airport due to heavy rains

Kerala recorded its worst flooding in a century, with over 400 people killed and more than one million displaced from their homes. They are now seeking shelter in more than 3,200 relief camps.

In a statement on Tuesday, airport authorities said cleaning works inside the terminals are underway.

“The water-logging in runway, taxiway and parking bays has completely receded,” it said.

It also stated that milling work on the runway will be completed in two days.

A part of the airport’s compound wall collapsed after water from the Periyar river – which swelled due to the opening of major dams – entered the complex.

“To ensure utmost safety, all runway lights (almost 800 of them) have to be removed, tested and refitted. Another challenge is the re-construction of the flood-hit perimeter wall. We have lost almost 2,600 metres of the wall,” the statement added.

While reconstruction has started, the airport is erecting ready-to-use structures, as per security norms, to meet the deadline.

The airport said it is currently engaging in “hectic damage control measures”.

It is also rendering terminal management services to the Naval Air Base from where commercial operations for domestic airlines are being carried out for the time being.

The Cochin airport is the busiest in Kerala and handled 10 million passengers in fiscal year 2017-18.