Cochin International Airport Ltd has posted a 10.6 per cent traffic growth in 2017, by handling 96.63 lakh passengers compared with 87.36 lakh in the previous year.
Of this, the share of domestic passengers was 45.28 lakh, a growth of 20.28 per cent, and 51.35 lakh international travellers (3.29 per cent). In 2016, the airport had handled 37.64 lakh passengers in the domestic sector, while in international sector, the number was 49.71 lakh.
With this growth momentum, CIAL is expected to clock 10 million passenger tariff in the current financial year. Total passenger traffic handled by three airports in Kerala was around 1.6 crore in the just concluded calendar year.
CIAL witnessed 67,590 aircraft movements in 2017 against 61,463 in the previous year. Currently, 24 airlines are operating from CIAL and two more have already announced their decision to start operations. Budget carrier Jaseera Airlines of Kuwait will begin operations on January 18, while the Bangkok-based Thai Lion Air will start its services in February.
According to V J Kurian, Managing Director, CIAL has lined up various developmental activities to cater to the growth in aviation traffic, which includes the commencement of domestic terminal T1. Domestic aviation sector in the country is witnessing a 20 per cent growth and around 100 million passengers are travelling around in a year. To accommodate the passenger traffic, airport operators have to enhance the carrying capacity by 100 per cent in every four years, he said.
CIAL's renovated domestic terminal will become operational in April which will have a peak hour handling capacity of 4,000 passengers.