Kochi’s international airport is stepping into its winter schedule with more activity than the summer season. From October 26, 2025, to March 28, 2026, Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) will handle 1,520 weekly operations, compared with 1,454 flights during the summer schedule.
The line-up includes 27 airlines, of which 25 will connect Kochi to international destinations. That means 341 weekly departures abroad. IndiGo leads the table with 49 weekly international services, followed closely by Air India Express with 47. Etihad stands at 28, Air Asia at 21, Air Arabia Abu Dhabi at 18, while Akasa will clock in 17. Major names like Air India, Emirates, Oman Air and Singapore Airlines will all operate 14 weekly flights each.
As expected, the Middle East continues to dominate Kochi’s international links. There will be 67 flights every week to Abu Dhabi alone, and Dubai follows with 45. Doha has 38 weekly connections, Kuala Lumpur 32, Muscat 25 and Sharjah 21. Singapore gets 14 services, Male 11, Bangkok 10, and Jeddah and Riyadh eight each. Cities like Bahrain, Colombo, Dammam and Ras Al Khaimah will see seven departures weekly. Newer leisure routes such as Ho Chi Minh City and Phuket will also feature, with four and three weekly flights respectively.
Air Asia is preparing to raise its Kochi frequency from 11 to 21 services per week. Air India will reintroduce flights to Doha, while Akasa is launching a daily service to Dammam.
Domestic routes also get a lift this winter. Bangalore tops with 86 weekly flights, while Mumbai (69), Delhi (63), Chennai (47) and Hyderabad (61) remain strong. Smaller but significant numbers include 14 services each to Agathi and Pune, 13 to Ahmedabad, and seven each to Kozhikode, Goa and Kannur. Salem joins the list with five flights a week.
For the first time, IndiGo will run two daily flights between Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram. An IndiGo service from Kannur will land in Kochi at 9:40 am, connecting onwards to the state capital at 10:00 am and again at 3:50 pm. The return legs from Thiruvananthapuram are scheduled for 1:00 pm and 7:20 pm. Star Air will begin four flights a week between Kochi and Bengaluru, while Akasa and IndiGo both add daily operations to Navi Mumbai. SpiceJet will also introduce daily flights to Chennai and Hyderabad.
Put together, this winter schedule brings 682 arrivals and 838 departures a week. International and domestic networks combined, Kochi is looking at a busier and more connected season.
While the schedule is heavy on figures, the underlying story is about stronger connectivity. The Middle East remains the anchor for Kochi’s global routes, but Southeast Asia and newer leisure spots are slowly coming into play. On the domestic side, extra flights to Thiruvananthapuram and Bengaluru add a layer of convenience for Kerala travellers.