# Cochin International Airport Limited

Cochin International Airport (IATA: COK, ICAO: VOCC) is located at Nedumbassery, near Kochi, India. This airport is also known as Kochi International Airport and Cochin International Airport.
Built in the traditional architectural style of Kerala, the airport is owned by Cochin International Airport Limited, a public company, initially held by a large number of Non Resident Indians (Indians who live outside India), major Indian corporations as well as a majority interest by the government of Kerala. This is the first International Airport in India that has been built without the Federal Government's stake. The Airport is located about 30 kilometers from the central city area of Cochin and amenities such as pre-paid taxis are readily available which makes life much easier for the passengers who land over there. The serene location of the airport and the availabilty of underdeveloped land near the location provides ample opportunity for growth in the region.
Having a 3,400-metre runway, one of the largest in Asia, the airport is equipped to operate any type of aircraft. It currently is the fifth busiest airport in India. It has a taxi track of 930 metres with two link taxis connecting the runway spread over the panchayats of Nedumbasserry, Sreemoolanagaram and Kanjoor. Currently in expansion mode, the airport has been made ready to accommodate the super jumbo Airbus 380. The construction of a new international terminal area with duty free has also been completed recently.
The total project cost of the airport was 3,150,000,000 Rupees (US$68,478,000). The airport has two terminals one each for domestic and international flights. The ground control is handled by Air India and the fuel supply to the airport is by the Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. The airport company still holds 400 acres (1.6 km²) of prime land at its disposal for commercial deployment.
Cochin International Airport has direct flights to Kuwait, Singapore, Colombo, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Jeddah and Dubai. It is also linked with Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Goa, Agatti, Trivandrum and Bangalore by domestic flights.

## History

October, 1991 - Decision to pursue the new Airport project instead of expansion of existing Naval Airport, by representatives of related govt. agencies.
March, 1993 - Clearance to the proposal by the ministry of Civil Aviation.
May 25, 1999 - Formal inauguration by the President of India.
June 10, 1999 - First Inaugural flight by Air India.
June 21, 1999 - Air India Jumbo Jet Boeing 747 landed.
June 1, 1999 - Domestic Operation from old Naval Airport on Willingdon airport was moved to Cochin.

## Domestic airlines

* Air India(Thiruvanathapuram, Mumbai, Kozhikode, Chennai)
* Air India Express (Thiruvanathapuram,Mumbai)
* Indian Airlines (Mumbai, Delhi, Agathi, Bangalore, Chennai, Goa, Coimbatore,Trivandrum,Kozhikode)
* Jet Airways (Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore)
* Air Sahara (Hyderabad, Delhi)
* Paramount Airways (Delhi, Coimbatore,Chennai)
* Air Deccan (Chennai, Bangalore)
* Kingfisher Airlines (Mumbai,Banglore,Delhi)
* GO Air From Winter 2006
* Spicejet From Winter 2006

## International airlines

* Air India (Riyadh, Doha, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jeddah, Dammam,Dubai)
* Air India Express (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat,Al-Ain,Salalah)
* Indian Airlines (Bahrain, Doha, Sharjah, Muscat, Kuwait)
* Air Lanka (Colombo)
* Emirates (Dubai)
* Gulf Air (Muscat,Abudhabi,Bahrain)
* Kuwait Airlines (Kuwait)
* Silkair (Singapore)
* Oman Air (Muscat)
* Qatar Airways (Doha)
* Air Arabia summer 2006 to Sharjah
* Malaysian Airlines from Dec.2005 to Kuala Lumpur
* Saudi Arabian Airlines (Jeddah,Riyadh,Dammam)
* Mahan Air (Tehran)
* Lufthansa (Frankfurt)
* Al Jazeera Airways (Kuwait)
* US Air (Newyork)