KOCHI: Kochi is not just Kerala’s busiest airport, but also its aviation backbone, with operational numbers pointing to a sustained and widening gap with its peers.
In 2006, Kochi handled 23,92,499 passengers, with Thiruvananthapuram (16,53,821) and Kozhikode (11,00,943) not far behind. By 2024, that rift widened as Kochi processed 1,09,49,727 passengers, more than double Thiruvananthapuram’s 49,11,039 and nearly three times Kozhikode’s 36,66,559, according to data sourced by TNIE through an RTI application.
The long-term growth curve is equally telling. Kochi’s passenger traffic rose from nearly 24 lakh in 2006 to 60,97,214 in 2014, and to 1,02,80,152 in 2019. This is a more than a fourfold increase over 13 years. Even following the disruption wrought by the pandemic, the airport recovered faster, climbing from 33,54,347 passengers in 2020 to nearly 1.1 crore in 2024.
The momentum carried into 2025. Between January and November alone, Kochi handled 1,03,54,572 passengers, which marked a 4.5% increase over the same period in 2024.
If passenger movement reinforces Kochi airport’s role as the primary growth driver of the state’s aviation sector, aircraft movement emphasises its dominance. Kochi’s annual flight activity rose from about 27,688 in 2006 to over 71,191 in 2024, and 66,347 in the first 11 months of 2025. No other airport in the state comes close.
The financial capital’s share of the state aviation pie remains structurally high. In 2024, Kochi accounted for 52.55% of Kerala’s total passenger traffic of 2.08 crore, and 50% of total flight traffic of 1,41,494. This trend continued in 2025, with Kochi servicing 52.6% of the state’s total passengers in the January-November window.
By comparison, Thiruvananthapuram, the second busiest airport, handled 49,11,039 passengers and 32,477 flight movements in 2024. But it registered a nearly 3% dip in passenger count and 7% decline in aircraft movement in the first 11 months of 2025, when compared with the same period the previous year. Kozhikode, with 36,66,559 passengers in 2024, posted moderate gains in 2025, but remains far behind Kochi in absolute numbers.
Kannur, operational since late 2018, handled 13,07,746 passengers in 2024 and around 13,93,903 between January and November 2025. Despite increased footfall, its scale is still a fraction of Kochi’s.
Taken together, the numbers point to a clear trend. Kerala’s aviation market has expanded to over 2 crore annual passengers. But more than half of that traffic flows through a single airport.
Miles above
Kochi’s annual flight activity rose from about 27,688 in 2006 to over 71,191 in 2024, and 66,347 in first 11 months of 2025
No other airport in the state comes close to this feat
