KOCHI: The Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) has reaffirmed its position as Kerala’s leading airport operator by handling over 1 crore passengers for the third consecutive year.
In 2025, the airport handled a total of 1,15,19,356 passengers, with a year-on-year growth of around 4.85% compared to 1,09,86,296 passengers in 2024. The number reflects balanced growth across both domestic and international sectors.
May emerged as the busiest month of the year, with passenger traffic crossing 11.07 lakh. January and December also recorded strong footfalls, with 10.44 lakh and 10.06 lakh passengers, respectively.
In terms of aircraft movement, Kochi recorded 74,869 movements in 2025, marginally lower than the 2024 figure of 75,074. Airport officials attributed this dip to a reduction in services by certain airlines.
In June, Air India reduced frequencies and suspended flights on several routes, including the Mumbai-Kochi sector, as part of a schedule adjustment. The move was reversed after intervention from the upper echelons of Kerala’s political leadership. Despite this temporary setback, Kochi airport’s traffic continued to grow.
CIAL managing director S Suhas credited the CIAL 2.0 programme for the sustained growth.
“The initiative aimed at redefining the passenger experience by digitalising operations has brought about significant improvements in terminal transit and overall ease of movement,” he said.
The Rs 200-crore programme, launched in May 2025, has also helped enhance terminal ambience and upgraded technology-enabled passenger amenities, contributing to higher passenger satisfaction, Suhas added.
Full-body scanners to be introduced
As part of CIAL 2.0’s ongoing digitisation and security modernisation drive, Kochi airport is set to introduce automatic full-body scanners to streamline passenger screening.
“We have already implemented the project. The Kerala art arcade was recently relocated to make room for this. The pilot phase is currently under way and will be operational in the near future,” a CIAL spokesperson said.