CIAL announces airport development projects worth ₹1,000 crore

An artist’s impression of the T3 terminal of the Kochi airport when expansion works get completed. 

Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) has announced a three-year development plan, aimed at bringing about sweeping changes in airport operations and infrastructure with an investment of around ₹1,000 crore. The CIAL blueprint covers 163 projects that highlight its sustainability goals, technological advancement, and passenger satisfaction.

The airport’s plans include projects across both aeronautical and non-aeronautical domains. Over the next couple of years, an investment of ₹250 crore is planned for IT infrastructure enhancement, including projects like Digi Yatra, Perimeter Intrusion Detection System (PIDS), e-Gate for Immigration, and self-baggage scanning systems.

CIAL spent around ₹35 crore for PIDS, which will be inaugurated later this week, close on the heels of the 0484 Aero Lounge, described as affordable luxury for both passengers and visitors. The PIDS envisages a multilayered 360-degree security cover for the operational area.

Major features

The major features of the project include non-lethal power fences atop the 12-km perimeter wall to detect potential intrusions, fibre optic vibration sensors along the perimeter wall to detect breach attempts, a Drainage Intrusion Detection System to prevent unauthorised access through the airport’s drainage exits, and 86 thermal cameras placed along the perimeter for continuous day-and-night monitoring, according to sources.

The perimeter intrusion detection system which will be commissioned at the Cochin International Airport later this week.

The system is integrated with the Security Operations Control Centre (SOCC), where real-time alarms and alerts are displayed on a video wall, enabling security personnel to pinpoint the exact location of any intrusion attempt.

The other upcoming projects include the expansion of the International Terminal, T3, after completion of the new apron for the terminal.

Work for building an additional security hold area on the northern side of the existing pier would begin soon, airport sources said. The tender process for the terminal area will start in December, increasing the area from 15 lakh sq ft to 21 lakh sq ft. The project is expected to be completed in two years.

The import cargo terminal, commissioned on October 2, 2023, and operational from January 14, 2024, is another aeronautical project. The terminal is spread over 80,000 sq ft and has an annual handling capacity of two lakh metric tonnes.

The Zone by CIAL will be a commercial complex that is expected to be commissioned in mid-2025. A golf resort and sports centre and a five-star hotel are also in the making.

‘Global recognition’

“Into its 24th year of operations, more than 100-plus million passengers and 24 airlines, CIAL plays a critical role in Kerala’s global connectivity, handling over 62% of the State’s air passenger traffic,” said managing director S. Suhas. CIAL has earned international recognition, including the ‘Champions of the Earth’ award from the United Nations.

During 2023-24, CIAL recorded a turnover of ₹1,014.21 crore with an operating expenditure of ₹286.29 crore. The airport achieved a profit before tax of ₹552.37 crore, and a profit after tax of ₹412.58 crore.

The airport has also undertaken several green initiatives. The solar power plants together generate two lakh units of power a day and further investments in renewable energy sources include signing an MoU with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited to establish a green hydrogen plant. The construction work for the plant will start in December this year.

“The Indian aviation industry is predicted to soar at an annual growth rate of 16%. The CIAL board of directors has meticulously crafted a strategic development plan to align with this trajectory. This year, our focus is on introducing new international routes and expanding domestic services to offer cost-effective air travel options,” Mr. Suhas said.