Major boost for Kozhikode airport: Flight services increase with new airlines and routes
Karipur(Malappuram): Kozhikode International Airport is spreading its wings of glory again, with three new airlines preparing to launch services and existing ones set to increase operations. Karipur has regained momentum after a lull following the plane crash.
FLY91 Air and Aakasa Air Airlines are starting services in the domestic sector. Saudi Air, which suspended operations here after the 2020 accident, will return in October. Sri Lankan Airlines has also begun a financial survey for a Kozhikode service.
New services are as follows:
FLY91: Service in the Goa-Kozhikode-Agatti sector and vice versa. Plans are also underway to launch services from Kozhikode to Dubai and Saudi Arabia. The airline will arrive in Kozhikode in October.
Aakasa Air: Service in the Mumbai-Kozhikode-Mumbai sector will begin on 1 October. The flight will depart from Mumbai at 5.30 pm, arrive in Kozhikode at 7.20 pm, return at 7.55 pm and reach Mumbai at 9.40 p.m.
Saudi Air: Will resume services by the end of October, with the first flight in the Kozhikode-Riyadh sector. Once approval for larger aircraft is granted, Jeddah services will also start.
More services
IndiGo Air: Kozhikode-Kochi-Agatti service will resume on October 11.
Air India Express: Additional services will operate in the Kozhikode-Bengaluru-Hyderabad sector. There will be three Bengaluru-Kozhikode flights on Fridays, Saturdays and Tuesdays, and two on other days. By the end of October, Saudi Air will also resume services in the Hyderabad-Kozhikode sector, mainly on Fridays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and one on other days.
SpiceJet: SpiceJet is likely to confirm a chartered service on the Kozhikode-Fujairah sector.
Flynas: Increased the Kozhikode-Riyadh services. The flights will travel daily except Saturdays through September, expanding to all days from October 1.
More services
Currently, Kozhikode handles 80 to 86 services, with 40 inbound and 40 outbound flights, the majority being international. Most flights connect to Sharjah, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Dammam, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Al Ain.
Air Asia operates four weekly services to East Asia. Domestically, flights connect Kozhikode with Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, New Delhi and Mumbai.
Before the plane crash, Kozhikode saw over 100 services. With the addition of new airlines, operations will rise to 96 flights.
Fly anywhere in the country
With the entry of new domestic airlines, passengers can now fly anywhere in India from Kozhikode. Air India is boosting its Bengaluru-Hyderabad services to provide connectivity across the country, though with a short layover.
IndiGo is offering the same facility. Aakasa Air and FLY91, both budget airlines, are also ensuring such connectivity. FLY91 and IndiGo plan to tap into the tourism potential of Goa and Lakshadweep.
Hajj and Umrah
The return of Saudi Air will greatly benefit Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. As large aircraft remain banned, Jeddah services may not resume immediately. However, passengers will be able to travel from Riyadh to Jeddah. With the airport’s construction(RESA) nearing completion, the use of larger aircraft will soon be possible.
More possibilities
The new services also open opportunities for cargo movement and the tourism sector.
Will change the face of Kozhikode
The new services are expected to transform the airport. With more focus on the domestic sector, travel difficulties faced by passengers in Malabar are set to ease, said AKA Naseer, Airport Advisory Board Member