Kerala's fourth international airport, at Kannur, that is expected to serve more than 1.5 million passengers annually, is set to begin trial flight operations in January and become fully operational by September 2018.

With the opening of Kannur International Airport Ltd (KIAL), Kerala will be the only state in the country to have four international airports with the others at Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode.

The Rs 1,892 crore-airport, located at Mattanur, over 2,000 acres, will be the fastest completed airport in the country, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's office said.

The airport has constructed a runway suitable for operating Code E aircraft, like Boeing B-777 and Airbus A-330. It will be extended later for operation of Code F aircraft, like Airbus A-380.

While the Kerala government has 35 per cent stake in KIAL, 25 per cent is by public sector undertakings, 10 per cent is with the Airports Authority of India and the remaining 30 per cent with cooperatives, banks and individual shareholders.

The first trial operation took place in February 2016 when an Indian Air Force aircraft landed for the first time on the airport and was received by then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy.

Once completed, the apron of the airport will have parking bays for 14 Code E aircraft or 20 Code C aircraft.

The airport will be able to handle at a time 2,000 passengers. KIAL is expected to change the face of north Kerala in areas like tourism and business activities, especially handloom, textiles and floriculture, the Chief Minister's Office said.