Runway renovation is held every 10 years. This time the works are scheduled to start on November, 20, 2019 and finish on March, 28, 2020. During this period the airport will be closed for all inbound and outbound flights from 10 am till 6 pm daily.
All domestic flights, about 35 totally, will be rescheduled. International flights that arrive to the airport early in the morning will not be affected. Yet closure of India's eighth-busiest airport by overall passenger traffic during high tourist season will inevitably put travellers in a bind and air ticket prices are likely to go up.
The possibility of diverting the affected flights to Calicut International Airport, also known as Karipur Airport, 150 km up the coast, or Kannur International Airport, 120 km northwest of Kochi is studied. Last August, the Calicut airport already proved a handy alternative for both domestic and international flights when it handled additional air traffic due to flooding in Kerala.
Note that Haj flights will be operated from the Calicut airport from July 7. Air India will operate its jumbo flights to West Asia from the same airport as well.
Kochi Airport Will Shut during Daytime for Four Months
News in Asia
Cochin International Airport in the Indian state of Kerala will be closed for the mandatory runway renovation during daytime later this year.