Get ready for a busy winter at Kochi Airport! Cochin International Airport (CIAL) is gearing up for its upcoming winter schedule, which will see an impressive 1,520 weekly services. This marks a significant jump from the 1,454 flights operated during the current summer period, offering more choices and better connectivity for travelers.
The new winter schedule officially kicks off on October 26th and will run through March 28th, 2026. Several airlines are boosting their services, with Star Air launching new operations to Bengaluru four days a week. IndiGo is also expanding its reach, adding two daily flights to Thiruvananthapuram and a daily service to Navi Mumbai. Not to be outdone, Akasa will introduce daily flights connecting Kochi to Ahmedabad and Navi Mumbai.
A total of 27 airlines will be part of this expanded winter lineup, including 25 international carriers. These will collectively offer 341 weekly international departures. IndiGo leads the pack with 49 weekly international flights, closely followed by Air India Express with 47. Other major international operators include Etihad (28), Air Asia (21), Air Arabia Abu Dhabi (18), Akasa (17), along with Air India, Air Arabia, Emirates, Oman Air, and Singapore Airlines, all offering 14 weekly services each. Kuwait Airways and Qatar Airways will each have 11 weekly flights, while Saudia and Thai Air Asia will operate 10 each. SpiceJet, Srilankan, and Malaysia Airlines will contribute 7 weekly flights, Jazeera 5, and Fly Dubai, Gulf Air, Island Aviation, Viatjet, and Malindo will each have 4. Thai Lion Air rounds out the list with 3 weekly services.
Connectivity to the Gulf region is seeing a major boost. Abu Dhabi will be a top destination with 67 weekly departures, followed by Dubai with 45. Other key international destinations include Doha (38), Kuala Lumpur (32), Muscat (25), and Sharjah (21). Flights will also be available to Singapore (14), Male (11), Bangkok (10), Jeddah and Riyadh (8 each), Bahrain, Colombo, Dammam, and Ras Al Khaimah (7 each), Ho Chi Minh City (4), and Phuket (3).
The enhanced winter schedules are strategically designed to significantly improve travel links across West Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Gulf. Notably, Air Asia is increasing its flight frequency from 11 to 21 per week. Air India is reinstating its popular Doha sector, and Akasa is introducing daily flights to Dammam, further solidifying Kochi’s position as a regional travel hub.
On the domestic front, the schedule is equally robust, featuring 86 weekly flights to Bengaluru, 69 to Mumbai, 63 to Delhi, 47 to Chennai, and 61 to Hyderabad. Smaller cities will also benefit, with 14 flights to Agathi, 13 to Ahmedabad, 14 to Pune, 7 each to Calicut, Goa, and Kannur, and 5 to Salem.
A notable addition to the domestic circuit is an IndiGo flight from Kannur, which will arrive in Kochi at 9:40 a.m. This service will then facilitate two daily round trips between Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, departing Kochi at 10 a.m. and 3:50 p.m., and returning at 1 p.m. and 7:20 p.m.
SpiceJet is also stepping up its domestic operations with daily services to Chennai and Hyderabad. In total, the winter schedule will comprise 682 international and domestic arrivals, and 838 international and domestic departures weekly, promising a vibrant and dynamic travel season.
S. Suhas, the Managing Director of Cochin International Airport Limited, emphasized the airport’s commitment, stating, “Cochin International Airport is dedicated to ensuring the highest standards of passenger comfort, safety, and seamless connectivity. Our ongoing digitization efforts, encapsulated in CIAL 2.0, are focused on modernizing our infrastructure and enriching the overall travel experience for everyone.”