Kochi Airport is Exploring Dhaka and Ethiopia as Potential New Destinations

Kochi is the third largest city in the state of Kerala. The airport in Kochi is a major gateway for various cities in the Middle East. It is fully owned by a consortium of Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) and the State Government of Kerala. While speaking at a public forum, the Managing Director of Kochi Airport said that the airport is looking to enhance its international footprint. Bangladesh and Ethiopia are the two countries that the airport is looking to place on its network map.

Kochi Airport: Looking at Dhaka and Ethiopia

During his maiden speech at the Medical Value Travel Meet 2024, MD of Kochi Airport S. Suhas said that there is a high possibility that the airport will receive direct connectivity to Dhaka and Ethiopia. He said that this would happen when stakeholders will provide the data on passenger numbers. If the number is high, airlines themselves will reach out to the airport operator for operations on these routes.

A foreign airline has reached out to Kochi Airport for the Ethiopian service. For Dhaka, an Indian airline is in touch. Though the MD has not named any airline, there is a high possibility that the carrier seeking rights to Ethiopia must be Ethiopian Airlines. If this route becomes a reality, it will become the first African connection for Kochi Airport.

Similar to Ethiopia, no airline connects Kochi to any city in Bangladesh. Both Africa and Ethiopia come with a lot of medical traffic potential. The forum was organized by the Kerala Medical Tourism Facilitators Forum (KMTFF). Suhas said that collaboration is the most important factor to unlock the full potential of the medical sector of Kerala.

Self-Baggage Drop Now Available

Kochi Airport has announced the opening of a self-baggage drop facility at the airport. This will allow the passengers to check-in their luggage without the help of airline staff members. Passengers traveling with IndiGo, AirAsia, and Air India can access this facility, located at Terminal 1. This means that 95% of passengers can access this facility.

In addition, there are 10 common-use self-service kiosks near the terminal gates, which allow passengers to print their boarding passes and baggage tags. The equipment for this facility has been brought from Canada. In summary, the airport now has DigiYatra for seamless check-in, a self-baggage drop facility, and self-service kiosks for printing boarding passes.

At present, Kochi Airport is connected to 5 international cities in South Asia. This includes Singapore, Kuala Lumpur Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, and Male. It is connected to both airports in Bangkok, with Thai Airways connecting to Suvarnabhumi and Thai AirAsia connecting to Don Mueang Airport.

In the Middle East, Kochi Airport is connected to 11 cities. This includes 2 cities in Oman (Muscat & Salalah), 3 cities in UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi & Sharjah), 3 cities in Saudi Arabia (Dammam, Jeddah & Riyadh), Kuwait, Bahrain, and Doha.

Conclusion: Kochi Airport Eyeing Dhaka and Ethiopia

Kochi Airport is exploring the possibilities of connecting the city to Dhaka in Bangladesh and Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. A foreign airline has reached out to the airport for direct flights to Ethiopia. For Bangladesh service, it is in talks with a large Indian carrier. However, the names have not been revealed yet. MD S. Suhas said that to unlock the medical potential of Kerala, collaboration is the key.

What do you think about the new possible connections from Kochi Airport? Discuss in the comment section.