V.J. Kurian, a former top bureaucrat of the Kerala government and presently the MD of the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL), said the decision is a welcome move.

"CIAL in 1993 became the first PPP airport in the country and then we saw similar airports in Mumbai, Delhi and then came other major airports. There are 650 aircraft in the country owned by various airlines and each time they go abroad for maintenance, precious foreign exchange is lost. We at the CIAL started work for the hangar unit in 2006. I see this as a very good step. Once more details come in, we will know more," said Kurian.