Kochi: In response to the growing demand amidst the busy domestic aviation sector, Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) has introduced a revamped summer schedule, expanding connectivity horizon for travellers from Kochi to various cities across the nation.

CIAL also announced the achievement of catering to over one crore passengers during the financial year 2023-24. The summer timetable, which was enforced on March 31, saw a notable surge with 1,628 weekly services, a substantial increase of approximately 60 flights compared to the previous schedule. These additional flights commenced service in the first week of May.

Air India Express runs six weekly service to Kolkata, while IndiGo launched services to Ranchi, Chandigarh, Varanasi, Raipur, and Lucknow. Air India Express unveiled new services to Pune and AirAsia commenced services to Ranchi and Bagdogra.

CIAL further expanded connectivity with major metro cities across India, running 20 daily services to Bengaluru, 13 to Delhi, and 10 to Mumbai. IndiGo also commenced daily services to Lakshadweep from May 1, catering to the island's burgeoning tourism sector. Currently, Alliance Air operates 10 weekly services to Agatti.

13 services to Bangkok

CIAL augmented services to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, and Ho Chi Minh City to accommodate the escalating influx of tourists to the eastern region. Thai Airways has introduced three weekly services which has boosted the Kochi-Bangkok route to a total of 13 weekly flights, alongside 14 services to Singapore and 22 to Kuala Lumpur. Air India also has announced plans to augment its weekly services to London from three to four.

Record number of over 1 Cr passengers in financial year 2023-24

CIAL recorded a staggering 1.053 crore passengers in the financial year 2023-24, marking the highest traffic in its history. This achievement signifies an 18 percent increase compared to the previous financial year, with CIAL handling a total of 70,203 services. The airport saw over one crore passengers traversing through its terminals in the calendar year 2023 alone. The passenger travels saw numbers of 55.98 lakh in the domestic sector and 49.31 lakh in the international sector.