Even as the Kannur International Airport is waiting for more flights, the operations are facing trouble due to a large presence of peacocks in the area.
Located at a hill in Mattanoor away from Kannur town, the airport was often visited by jackals and dogs when it opened for operations in 2018. With time, the population of jackals and dogs declined, but peacocks arrived in large numbers over the years.
These birds come under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Act and have to be protected. Already this has become a menace with flights often getting hit by these birds.