Cochin International Airport (COK)

Departures from Cochin International Airport (COK) at a glance

• 65flights a day10th busiest of 98 airports
• 12routes from here
• 4airlines
• 02:40 – 23:05first and last00061218

Collected between 27 September 2026 and 28 September 2026. Not live — check with the airline before booking.

Cochin International Airport (COK) serves Kochi (Cochin), in Keralam (Kerala), from Nedumbassery, which its operator puts 28 km northeast of downtown Kochi. Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) owns and operates the airport, which opened on 25 May 1999, and the Government of Keralam is CIAL's largest investor.

Domestic flights use Terminal 1 (T1), and Terminal 3 (T3) is the international terminal. CIAL describes Cochin as the first airport in India built under public-private partnership and as the world's first fully solar-powered airport.

Terminals at Cochin International Airport

T1 is the domestic terminal, with its own arrival and departure areas, and CIAL states that "All domestic flights are handled through this complex." T3 handles international flights. Terminal 2 (T2) is the Business Jet Terminal, which CIAL offers exclusively to general aviation.

A free buggy service carries passengers between the terminals, with priority for senior citizens, passengers with special needs and families.

The T1 departure hall and self bag drop

The T1 departure hall has the airline check-in counters, a baggage wrapping machine, baggage screening, the security check, airline offices, foreign exchange, a restaurant and lounge, and a coffee and snacks kiosk. Its shopping arcade has apparel, books, cashews and spices, coffee and snacks, and a broadband internet cafe.

T1 has a self-bag-drop facility, where passengers print their boarding pass and bag tag at Common Use Self-Service (CUSS) kiosks. Ask your airline whether it uses the CUSS kiosks at Kochi before you count on them.

Speedwings Services runs the airport's meet-and-greet service at T1 and at the international terminal. It covers help with baggage, a representative who completes check-in or arrival formalities for you, and a fuller service through to the boarding gate.

Arriving at T1

The T1 arrival hall has the baggage claim, a prepaid taxi counter, a tourism information centre and a Kerala Tourism touch-screen kiosk. It also has a currency exchange bureau, hospitality counters of hotel groups, police assistance counters and a coffee kiosk.

Getting to and from Cochin International Airport

CIAL puts the airport 28 km from downtown Kochi, and also gives 28 km from Ernakulam Junction railway station. Its transportation page lists a taxi service operated by CIALTOS, the Pavan Doot feeder bus operated by KMRL, the company behind Kochi Metro, and public buses of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC).

Prepaid taxis

Prepaid taxis are available round the clock from computerised counters at both the domestic and international terminals, to destinations in and around Kochi. The prepaid taxi system is run through a cooperative society controlled by CIAL, with ordinary and air-conditioned cars and bigger vehicles. The taxis can also be hired by the day for tours and round trips.

Pavan Doot feeder bus to Aluva Metro Station

CIAL lists the Pavan Doot feeder bus, run by KMRL. KMRL's launch notice describes a service between Aluva Metro Station and the airport, flagged off on 20 February 2020, that would use electric buses. Check the current times, and where the bus stops at the airport, with KMRL before you rely on it.

KSRTC buses

The contacts for KSRTC buses are the Assistant Transport Officers at Aluva, Angamaly and Ernakulam, each available 24 hours a day. Ask one of these offices for routes and times from the airport.

Railway stations and the proposed metro extension

Onmanorama reported on 29 October 2025 that Aluva and Angamaly are the nearest existing railway stations to the airport, and that the Railway Board had approved a halt called Cochin Airport Station at Nedumbassery, next to the airport. At the time of that report the halt was approved but not built.

Onmanorama reported on 1 September 2026 that KMRL had submitted its Phase 3 project report for a Kochi Metro extension from Aluva to Angamaly passing the airport, with a section of about 3 km underground leading up to it. The plan was to go to the state government for review and then to the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for approval. For now, the metro connection CIAL lists is the feeder bus from Aluva Metro Station.

Parking and pick-up

The parking is solar powered, and covered parking is available. To pick up or drop off passengers, drive in past the parking area and follow the signposts.

Long-term parking needs prior notification at the car park entry kiosk, with passenger details and travel plans. Once you choose long-term parking, it cannot be combined with short-term parking rates.

Facilities at Cochin International Airport

Lounges

The Earth Lounge has conference rooms for business meetings, recliners, wifi, flight information displays and a children's area. Entry depends on conditions such as credit or debit card eligibility, and passengers can also pay for entry. If you hold lounge access through a card, check with its provider that it covers the Earth Lounge.

The 0484 Aero Lounge, at T2 between T1 and T3, is outside the security hold area and open to both passengers and visitors, according to its own site. It has guest rooms, boardrooms and conference halls, a co-working space, a cafe lounge, a restaurant and bar, a spa and a gym.

Left luggage

CIAL's cloakroom is in the international terminal (T3) arrival area, beside Gate-1Alpha on the ground floor, near the public toilet. It is a paid service, open 24 hours a day, and you need your boarding pass or e-ticket and a valid photo identity document to use it. That puts it in a different terminal from T1, where domestic flights are handled.

Money, shops and food

There is foreign exchange in the T1 departure hall and a currency exchange bureau in the T1 arrival hall. Cash machines are available inside and outside the terminals, round the clock.

The airport also has charging pods, a supermarket, a pharmacy and restaurants, according to CIAL.

Medical help, prayer rooms and baby care

The medical room at T1 gives a 24-hour medical service free of cost to anyone in need, with ambulances on standby and referral to nearby hospitals. There are prayer rooms at the terminals, reached by following the signs in the airport, and Mama-friendly rooms for baby care and feeding.

Wheelchairs and reduced mobility at T1

CIAL advises passengers who need wheelchair assistance to request it through their airline at the time of booking or before travel. There are help desks at the front of the international and domestic terminals, and at T1 there is reserved parking in parking area P, a drop-off zone near pillar 16, a dedicated departure entry at gate 2B, a wheelchair assistance counter at the help desk near pillar 16, and a dedicated security lane, lane 1.

Lost property and complaints

For lost property, CIAL's contact is the terminal manager, with separate numbers for the domestic and international terminals. Complaints can go to CIAL's Public Grievance Officer at [email protected], and the Airport Manager is available round the clock.

Security, identity and DigiYatra at Kochi airport

Identity documents

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) publishes the list of photo identity documents accepted at terminal entry, carried in original with a valid ticket. A passport, Aadhaar or m-Aadhaar, a voter photo identity card and a driving licence are among them, and an international passenger carries a valid passport.

The CISF list says an infant or minor travelling with a parent or guardian who holds valid identity proof does not need a separate document, but an unaccompanied minor does. Airlines may ask for more, and foreign nationals should ask their airline which document it accepts for a domestic flight.

Screening, liquids and power banks

The CIAL Security Wing screens checked baggage at both the domestic and international terminals, with an inline computed tomography explosive detection system built to the specifications of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security. The CISF has been entrusted with the security of airports in India since 2000.

The CISF restricted-articles list allows liquids, aerosols and gels in cabin baggage in small quantities for the journey, in containers of up to 100 ml each, packed in one clear, resealable one-litre plastic bag. Medicine or an inhaler accompanied by a prescription, and baby food, are exceptions.

Lighters, metal scissors with pointed tips, tools such as hammers and drills, and self-defence items such as pepper spray are on its list of items banned from the cabin. A Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) circular of 11 November 2025 says power banks and spare batteries go in hand baggage, not in the overhead bin, and are not to be used or charged in flight. Ask your airline about any limit on their size or number.

DigiYatra

DigiYatra uses facial recognition. South First reported the formal launch of DigiYatra at the airport on 2 October 2023. The Digi Yatra Foundation runs DigiYatra, so check the DigiYatra app for who can enrol and whether it covers your flight.

Direct domestic flights recorded from Kochi

Airlines recorded on direct domestic flights from Kochi are IndiGo, Air India, Air India Express and Akasa Air.

For Mumbai, flights are recorded to both Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and Navi Mumbai International Airport, and each airport has its own route page. Kannur and Thiruvananthapuram, elsewhere in Keralam, are on the list too.

Direct domestic flights recorded from Kochi go to:

Destination	Airport	Airlines recorded
Agatti Island	Agatti Airport (AGX)	IndiGo
Ahmedabad	Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport (AMD)	IndiGo
Bengaluru (Bangalore)	Kempegowda International Airport (BLR)	IndiGo, Air India Express, Akasa Air
Chennai (Madras)	Chennai International Airport (MAA)	IndiGo
Goa	Goa International Airport, Dabolim (GOI)	IndiGo
Hyderabad	Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (HYD)	IndiGo
Kannur	Kannur International Airport (CNN)	IndiGo
Mumbai (Bombay)	Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM)	IndiGo, Air India, Air India Express, Akasa Air
Navi Mumbai	Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMI)	IndiGo, Akasa Air
New Delhi	Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL)	IndiGo, Air India, Air India Express
Pune	Pune International Airport (PNQ)	IndiGo, Air India Express
Thiruvananthapuram	Thiruvananthapuram International Airport (TRV)	IndiGo

Entry approval for Agatti, Lakshadweep

Air India's travel advisory on special permits says that if you are travelling to Agatti, Lakshadweep, "you will have to get approval from the Lakshadweep administrators to enter the island." The Lakshadweep Administration's Entry Permit Rules say that a person who is not a native of the islands may enter only under a permit issued by the competent authority. The rules deal with Indian tourists and foreign nationals separately, and the Administration's list of issuing authorities names a different office for each category of applicant, so check the rules and the list on its entry-permit page for your own case before you fly.

Delays, cancellations and your rights

The DGCA sets out what airlines offer when a flight is delayed or cancelled, or a passenger is denied boarding, in its Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR) Section 3, Series M, Part IV, Revision 4, dated 25 January 2023 and effective from 15 February 2023.

If you checked in on time, the airline provides meals and refreshments once a delay is expected to reach two hours or more on a flight with a block time of up to 2.5 hours, three hours or more on a flight of more than 2.5 and up to 5 hours, and four hours or more on a longer flight. If a domestic flight is expected to be delayed by more than six hours from its published departure time, or from a revised time communicated more than 24 hours before the original departure, the airline offers either an alternate flight within six hours or a full refund. For a delay of more than 24 hours, or more than six hours on a flight scheduled in the overnight window the CAR sets, the airline provides hotel accommodation, with transfers when necessary.

The CAR says the airline is not obliged to provide the meals, refreshments and hotel accommodation if the delay is caused by extraordinary circumstances "which could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken."

When a flight is cancelled, the airline provides for an alternate flight or a refund, and a passenger who was not told in time is offered either an alternate flight, or compensation under the DGCA's rules on top of a full refund. That compensation is not due where the cancellation is caused by extraordinary circumstances, which in the CAR include natural disasters, floods and strikes, or is clearly attributable to weather, air traffic control or security risks, or where the passenger gave the airline no email address or phone number at booking.

You can complain to the airline directly, file a grievance on the Air Sewa app or portal, or go to a statutory body or court. Check dgca.gov.in for a later revision, and your airline's current rules, before you rely on this.

Questions about Cochin International Airport

How far is Cochin International Airport from Kochi?

CIAL puts the airport 28 km northeast of downtown Kochi, and gives the same distance from Ernakulam Junction railway station. Prepaid taxis are available round the clock from counters at both the domestic and international terminals.

Which terminal do domestic flights use at Cochin International Airport?

Domestic flights use T1: CIAL states that "All domestic flights are handled through" its domestic terminal complex. T3 is the international terminal, and a free buggy service runs between the terminals.

Is there a bus from Kochi airport to Aluva Metro Station?

CIAL lists a KMRL feeder bus, the Pavan Doot, which KMRL's launch notice describes as a service between Aluva Metro Station and the airport, flagged off in February 2020. Check the current times with KMRL before you rely on it.

Can I leave luggage at Cochin International Airport?

CIAL's cloakroom is in the T3 arrival area, beside Gate-1Alpha, and is a paid service open 24 hours a day. You need your boarding pass or e-ticket and a valid photo identity document. T3 is a different terminal from T1, where domestic flights are handled.

Is there a lounge at Cochin International Airport?

The Earth Lounge admits passengers on conditions such as credit or debit card eligibility, and also offers paid entry. The 0484 Aero Lounge at T2 is outside the security hold area and open to passengers and visitors, according to its own site.

Do I need a permit to fly from Kochi to Agatti?

In general, yes, if you are not a native of the Lakshadweep islands. The Lakshadweep Administration's Entry Permit Rules say that such a person may enter only under a permit issued by the competent authority, and Air India's travel advisory says you will need approval from the Lakshadweep administrators to enter Agatti. Indian tourists and foreign nationals are treated separately, so check the rules and the list of issuing authorities on the Administration's entry-permit page before you fly.