Nedumbassery: Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) marks a milestone with the arrival of the first animal under the newly established Animal Quarantine Certification Service (AQCS). The service, which facilitates the international import and export of pets, was recently launched at the airport. On Thursday, a kitten from Brussels, Belgium, became the first animal to be brought into India via CIAL. The kitten, belonging to Ramachandran Nair from Thrissur, arrived on an Air India flight via Doha at 10:30 am.

The AQCS at Kochi Airport has been a long-awaited service, with permission granted on October 10. Before its establishment, animal importation was a complex process, requiring passengers to secure special permission and complete numerous formalities. The quarantine certification, designed to prevent the spread of exotic diseases, limited the number of animals that could be imported. Now, with the AQCS in place, pets can be easily brought into Kerala once technical procedures are completed at the airport. Prior to this, Kerala-bound passengers had to rely on AQCS facilities in other cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. The introduction of the AQCS offers a major relief for pet owners in Kerala, easing the import and export process.

CIAL has set up a 24-hour, air-conditioned pet station, a special cargo section, a veterinary doctor on call, a customs clearance centre, and a facilitation centre for individuals accompanying pets for export and export.

Under the AQCS, animals arriving from abroad will undergo a health examination. If found healthy, they will be released to their owners. However, if any symptoms of illness are detected, the animals will be sent to a quarantine centre for 15 days.