KOCHI: The Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) has taken the first step towards charting an ambitious and comprehensive blueprint for the next 25 years.
It has invited tenders from competent agencies with a proven track record to build a master plan to guide the airport’s physical, operational and commercial expansion. On the aviation side, the master plan is expected to assess future requirements for runways, taxiways and apron capacity, alongside phased expansion of passenger terminals, aircraft parking bays and air traffic movement capacity in line with long-term traffic forecasts.
“Kochi airport urgently needs a second runway. It has been under consideration since the time the airport was proposed. But it was kept in abeyance in the face of logistical hiccups and resistance to land acquisition,” a person in the know told TNIE. Planning for cargo infrastructure, including dedicated terminals and logistics facilities, is another key component of the master plan, as is provisioning for maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities.
The scope also extends to land-use planning within CIAL’s campus, including non-aeronautical developments such as commercial zones, hospitality, office space and other revenue-generating assets. Internal road networks, utility corridors, parking, and multimodal surface connectivity with the region are also to be integrated into the plan.
“This will not be the first master plan,” the source said. “In fact, this will be the third such document. What’s on here are likely ‘carry forwards’ from past iterations. It’s not enough for ambitions to remain on paper. They must be executed,” he added.
Regardless, the outcome of the plan will be a road map guiding CIAL’s investments and expansion decisions over the next quarter century.