The work of the Rs 50 crore (Rs 500 million) project would begin once the promised land was made available to Air India by the Kerala government, Thulasidas said while delivering the Keynote address of Thiruvananthapuram management association on 'Management of Infrastructure Capital Region Development'.
He also said the clearance from the Centre for buying 68 aircraft for Air India was expected soon.
The public investment board would meet on Octobter 30 and take a decision on the matter. After the PIB's approval, it has to be ratificed by the Cabinet, he said. The delivery of aircraft would begin by the end of 2006, he added.
Air India would be possible to start non-stop flight services to USA with the acquisation of new aircraft, he said.
Referring to the Air India Express low budget flight, he said Air India had planned to to operate more such flights from Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram. Discussion with a private freight carrier to operate freight service from Thiruvnanthapuram to Dubai was progressing and a final agreement was expected by December, he said.
After that it would also be possible to start a low budget Air India Express service in Thiruvananthapuram-Dubai sector also.
Refuting the complaints that Air India was not operating enough flights to Gulf region from Kerala centres, Thulasidas said barring holiday seasons the capacity was more or less adequate.