With the water level increasing in the area following continuous rains and the opening of dam shutters in Periyar river, the Cochin airport has suspended all flight operations till 2 pm Wednesday.
Shutters of the Idamalayar and Cheruthoni dams, part of Idukki reservoir, were opened Tuesday evening to release excess water.
The airport is located near the Periyar river bank.
“Operations suspended to/from Cochin International Airport till 1400 hrs…due to flood level in and around Airport,” an airport spokesperson said on Wednesday morning.
The Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) had earlier decided to suspend the arrival operations from 4 am to 7 am as a precautionary measure. It took the decision to shut the airport till 2 pm pm after reviewing the situation.
The arrival operations at the airport were suspended for two hours on August 9 anticipating inundation in the airport area. The operations were resumed later on.
Torrential rains, overflowing rivers and a series of landslides have claimed 40 lives in Kerala.
(With agency inputs)