Kochi: Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) has announced its winter schedule, effective from October 26, 2025, to March 28, 2026, featuring 1,520 weekly operations, an increase from the 1,454 weekly operations under the ongoing summer schedule.

The winter schedule will see 27 airlines in service, including 25 international carriers, operating 341 weekly departures to international destinations. IndiGo leads the list with 49 weekly departures, followed closely by Air India Express with 47. Other prominent carriers include Etihad (28), Air Asia (21), Air Arabia Abu Dhabi (18), Akasa (17), and Air India, Air Arabia, Emirates, Oman Air, and Singapore Airlines with 14 each. Kuwait Airways and Qatar Airways will operate 11 each, while Saudia and Thai Air Asia will run 10 each. Services from SpiceJet, SriLankan, and Malaysia Airlines will have 7 each; Jazeera (5), Fly Dubai, Gulf Air, Island Aviation, VietJet, and Malindo (4 each), Thai Lion Air (3) complete the roster of frequent operators.

Among destinations, Abu Dhabi tops the chart with 67 weekly departures, followed by Dubai (45). Other major routes include Doha (38), Kuala Lumpur (32), Muscat (25), and Sharjah (21). Singapore (14), Male (11), Bangkok (10), Jeddah and Riyadh (8 each), and Bahrain, Colombo, Dammam, and Ras Al Khaimah (7 each) also feature prominently. Newer connections include Ho Chi Minh City (4) and Phuket (3). Notably, Air Asia will increase its operations from 11 to 21 per week, Air India will reinstate the Doha sector, and Akasa will launch daily flights to Dammam.

On the domestic front, the winter schedule includes 86 weekly flights to Bengaluru, 69 to Mumbai, 63 to Delhi, 61 to Hyderabad, and 47 to Chennai. Other routes include 14 each to Agathi and Pune, 13 to Ahmedabad, 7 each to Calicut, Goa, and Kannur, and 5 to Salem. Regional connectivity is set to improve with two additional IndiGo services to Thiruvananthapuram. An IndiGo flight from Kannur will now connect seamlessly to the Kochi–Thiruvananthapuram (COK–TRV) sector, with departures from Kochi at 10 am and 3.50 pm, and return services from Thiruvananthapuram at 1 pm and 7.20 pm.

Further strengthening the network, Star Air will introduce four weekly flights on the Kochi–Bengaluru sector; Akasa Air will begin daily services to Ahmedabad and Navi Mumbai; IndiGo will add daily flights to Navi Mumbai; and SpiceJet will launch daily services to Chennai and Hyderabad. Overall, the winter schedule accounts for 682 arrivals and 838 departures every week, spanning both domestic and international operations.

“Cochin International Airport is committed to providing the highest standards of passenger comfort, safety, and seamless connectivity. Through our digitisation initiative, CIAL 2.0, we are modernising infrastructure and enhancing the travel experience. Our services, including TAJ Cochin International Airport and 0484 Aero Lounge, reflect our focus on world-class hospitality,” said S Suhas, CIAL Managing Director. He added that CIAL continues to set benchmarks in sustainability, innovation, and growth, positioning itself as one of India’s most trusted airports.