History
The original air facilities in Kochi were an aerodome and airstrip on Willingdon Island, built in 1936 by the British Residency of Kochi Kingdom, intended for transporting British officials involved in the development of Cochin Port. The airstrip was converted into a military airport by the Royal Indian Navy during World War II. The military facility hosted naval fighter planes and was intended to thwart possible Japanese air raids.
After Indian Independence, the Indian Navy operated the airport, though it permitted civilian aircraft to use the facility. The Gulf economic boom of the 1980s made it necessary to develop international transportation to Kochi in the interests of expatriates working in the Middle East.
In October 1990, the Kerala Chamber of Commerce, supported by local industry, passed a resolution to expand the Naval airport to accommodate large jets and facilitate direct flights to the Middle East. The resolution was rejected by the Navy for security reasons. A new airport was built near Kochi in 1991 instead.
Read more about this topic: Cochin International Airport
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