KANNUR (TIP): The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has formally agreed to take 26 percent equity share in the upcoming Kannur International Airport (KIAL).

The agreement was finalised in a high-level meeting that ports minister K Babu had with civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, minister of state for civil aviation Mahesh Sharma and other senior officials in New Delhi on Wednesday, said a press release.

Though the decision was taken during the regime of the previous UPA government, it was not finalised that time owing to lack of clarity in the agreement.

K Babu also requested the civil aviation minister to include Kochi international airport in the list of the hub airports. As per the draft civil aviation policy, only six metropolitan airports – Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore and Hyderabad – will be getting the hub airport status and the international airlines will operate from these airports only.

Further, he requested the civil aviation ministry to give international status to Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Kannur airports.