Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) has reported steady growth in passenger traffic for 2025–26, managing to move past operational challenges faced by airlines and broader geopolitical tensions in West Asia. The airport recorded a 2.2% increase in passenger numbers and crossed the 10 million mark for the fourth year in a row.
During the financial year, CIAL handled 1,14,42,583 passengers and recorded 73,134 aircraft movements. International travel accounted for 54,01,939 passengers, while domestic traffic stood at 60,40,644, showing balanced growth across both segments.
May 2025 was the busiest month, with 11,07,184 passengers passing through the airport. On the operations side, CIAL logged 31,505 international and 41,629 domestic aircraft movements over the year.
Airport officials said the consistent rise reflects strong demand from both travellers and airlines. They noted that passenger traffic remained stable throughout the year, with several months seeing particularly high volumes, highlighting the airport’s ability to handle rising demand efficiently.
According to Cochin International Airport Ltd Managing Director S. Suhas, growth has been supported by ongoing upgrades under the “CIAL 2.0” transformation programme. He said improvements in infrastructure, digital services, and passenger processing systems have helped improve efficiency and convenience while managing higher traffic.
The airport has also begun trial use of full-body scanners, aimed at strengthening security checks while improving passenger flow and overall travel experience.
