Kochi airport to be expanded

The Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL), the first private-public airport company behind the success of Nedumbassery International Airport at Kochi, is expanding the terminal to meet projected growth in passenger traffic, sources said.

The airport authorities are seeking opinion from regular passengers before finalising the design and facilities in the proposed expansion project. CIAL is also planning a major private airport project in the Gulf region, but the details were not released.

The new state-of-the-art terminal is being constructed with an investment of Indian Rs450 crores (Rs4.5 billion; Dh304 million). The airport will house an aquarium, duty free shop spread over 300,000 square feet area, food court and covered road links with eight to nine lanes. Currently, the Kochi international airport is spread over 478,000 square feet area and caters to both domestic and international flights.

“CIAL has decided to construct a new international passenger terminal to meet the increasing passenger traffic growth. The new terminal will be able to handle 4,000 passengers in an hour during the peak time and also meet the projected traffic growth till 2025. The terminal is expected to cost around Rs450 crores,” said a CIAL source familiar with the project.

The Kochi International Airport is being expanded with the help of a group of Non-Resident Indians from the UAE and other Gulf countries.

The new terminal, to be built in the traditional Indian temple architecture style, will have 56 check-in counters, 48 immigration counters and 15 security check-in gates.

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