Kochi: Nedumbassery International Airport in Kochi is set to increase the number of flight services, as indicated in the new winter flight schedule. A total of 96 additional services will be available compared to the current summer schedule.

The schedule, effective from October 27, 2024, to March 29, 2025, was announced by Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL). In the international sector, 26 airlines will operate services, while seven airlines will handle domestic routes. Abu Dhabi remains the destination with the highest number of weekly services, with 67 flights. There will be 46 services to Dubai and 31 to Doha from Kochi. In total, there will be 134 weekly flights to the UAE under the new winter schedule.

Air India Express tops the chart with 51 weekly operations to international destinations, followed by Etihad with 28 flights, Air Arabia Abu Dhabi with 28, AirAsia with 18, Air India with 17, and other prominent airlines such as Air Arabia, Akasa, Emirates, Oman Air and Singapore Airlines with 14 flights each. Thai Airways has increased its premium service to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport from three times to five times a week, resulting in a total of 15 weekly services from Kochi to Bangkok. This includes flights operated by Thai AirAsia and Thai Lion Air. VietJet will also start daily services to Vietnam.

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In the domestic sector, there will be 112 weekly flights to Bengaluru, 75 to Mumbai, 63 to Delhi, 61 to Chennai, 52 to Hyderabad, 15 to Agatti, 14 each to Ahmedabad and Kolkata, 13 to Pune, and seven each to Kozhikode, Goa, Kannur and Thiruvananthapuram. There will be five services to Salem. Air India Express will also operate 10 additional services to Bengaluru, seven to Chennai, six to Pune, and five to Hyderabad, while Akasa Air will operate daily additional flights to Ahmedabad.

In total, there will be 788 departures and 788 arrivals each week in the international and domestic sectors. CIAL, which entered the Rs 1,000 crore club in the 2023-24 financial year, has also become the only airport in Kerala to handle 10 million passengers in both a calendar year and a financial year. The company is continuously working to meet the growing demands of the Indian aviation sector, according to CIAL managing director S Suhas IAS.

He said, "CIAL management is highly focused on upgrading and improving the infrastructure in line with the increasing passenger numbers. Advanced technology is being implemented at all passenger touchpoints to enhance the airport experience. The state-of-the-art self-baggage drop facility is an example of this. CIAL is also envisioning Kochi as a major aviation hub in South India, with several innovative projects and rapid implementation of aero and non-aero initiatives."

In response to the rise in passenger traffic, CIAL is also expanding its international terminal (T3). The foundation stone for the apron construction work was laid on October 2, 2023. The apron area will increase from 2 million square feet to 3.6 million square feet. Upon completion, the number of parking bays will rise from 44 to 52, and the terminal area will expand from 1.5 million square feet to 2.1 million square feet. This development is expected to be completed within two years.