Kerala - Kochi   

Domestic carriers’ favoured destination

KOCHI: The Cochin International Airport is fast becoming a favoured destination of domestic carriers in the country.

The airport now boasts 223 domestic services a week, a growth of more than 41 per cent from the 158 of the previous financial year.

During 2006-07, the number of domestic aircraft movements through the airport was 16,501 (including 582 non-scheduled flights) as against 9,531 (including 427 non-scheduled flights) of the previous financial year, registering a growth of more than 73 per cent.

Jet Airways topped the chart with 4,365 flights, while the budget-carrier Air Deccan came second with 3,451. Kingfisher Airlines followed with 3,160 flights and the public-sector Indian came fourth with 2,185.

Jetlite (formerly Air Sahara) with 1,171 flights, Paramount Airways with 997 and Go Air with 590 occupied the remaining positions.

The daily domestic passenger movement through the airport increased from 7,31,661 in 2005-06 to 11,31,898 in 2006-07, registering an impressive growth rate of 55 per cent. The number of domestic passengers daily increased from 2,000 to 3,100.

Nine domestic carriers operates from the airport, with Spice Jet (14 weekly services) and Indigo (seven) being the latest entrants this year.

At least two more domestic carriers, Air Dravida and Emrick Airlines, are waiting in the wings to take off from the airport.

“We are encouraging all domestic and regional carriers to operate from Kochi airport and to make it their base. We will offer concessions in landing and parking charges and ground-handling charges to such carriers,” Shriram Bharath, Managing Director of CIAL, told The Hindu.

The booming domestic air traffic and the arrival of more airlines have made the previously spacious domestic terminal look congested. The airport is hard-pressed to find office space for two carriers which arrived this year, while an airline is yet to find office space inside the terminal. This airline with a makeshift office just outside the terminal is put to much hardship, especially during rain.

The airport has drawn up a plan to expand the domestic terminal by the year-end.

This means that the shopping arena in the terminal will be done away with. The shopkeepers have been served notices to vacate by September-end. “This will help to introduce more check-in counters and provide more space to airline offices. Five more parking bays and additional conveyor belts are also being planned,” Mr. Bharath said.

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