Located in approximately 1300 Acres, Cochin International Airport (CIAL) is the largest and busiest airport of Kerala. The seventh largest in India in terms of passengers and cargo, this Cochin airport is also the first green field airport under the public private partnership (PPP). CIAL is a public limited company where over 1000 NRIs from all over the world have invested.
Built in the traditional architectural style of Kerala, Kochi Airport has the facilities for the smooth landing and take- off of all types of large aircrafts. Many budget airlines and major airlines including Air India Express, Gulf Air, Emirates, Sri Lankan Airlines and Etihad among others operate from this airport. At present the airport operates more than 10 domestic and 20 international airlines connecting Cochin, the business capital of Kerala, to more than 50 destinations nationally and internationally and more than 10000 passengers use its facilities every day!
Conveniently located at Nedumbassery, the Ernakulum Airport is easily accessible to all three National Highways of NH 47, NH 17 and NH 49 that pass through Kerala. The nearest railhead is Angamaly and the Cochin Sea port is also situated not very far away, which makes it a vital link on travel, tourism and trading activities. It is built on a modular basis to cater to the future requirements by keeping the initial investments to a minimum.
It has three different terminals to channelise the services. The domestic terminal is comparatively small and it can handle around 500 passengers at a time. There are over 20 check-in counters including 5 premium check-in counters while the waiting room can accommodate over 400 passengers. A small food court and recreational area is also available for the passengers.
The international terminal is large and spacious with 37 dedicated check-in gateways and 5 premium check-in counters. CIAL is the fifth airport in the country that uses the in-line baggage screening system in place of the conventional manual X-ray scanning machines. In addition there are more than 20 passport verification counters and 4 baggage carousels to ensure a smooth flow of traffic.
It has a well stocked duty free shop, where the passengers can shop for various goods including gift articles, wine and beer, fashion accessories, confectionery and more. The book shop has a good collection of reading materials besides travel requisites. Some of other passenger services on offer include first aid services, meet and greet travel options, guest rooms and car parking facilities among others.
The cargo terminal of CIAL has some of the best facilities in the country. It has already registered an annual growth of 25 per cent and has handled about 40000 MT of cargo last year. It has a Center for Dry Cargo (CDC), where the cargo meant for import or export are inspected, a Center for Perishable Goods (CPC), which is the largest cold storage facility in the country and the Transshipment Cargo Complex that offers warehouse facilities for the cargo.
CIAL has indeed put Cochin in the world tourism map and helps in connecting the tourists from far and wide to the warm hospitality and tourism sector of Kerala, called as God’s own country !
