Cochin Intl Airport is the best Intl Airport in India. In terms of International traffic, it ranks 4th in INDIA. More importantly, Cochin is currently the only airport capable of handling the AIRBUS 380. The airport is owned by Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL), a public company, initially held by a large number of Non-resident Indians (Indian citizens who live outside India), major Indian corporations as well as a 13% holding by the government of Kerala. This is the first international airport in India to be built with only a minority (13%) Central Government stake in a public-private partnership (PPP) project. The total government stake, state and central, is thus ONLY 26%...and that is the MAIN reason why it is REALLY GOOD!!.
The airport was built on a 1300-acre plot surrounded by a lush green landscape, and had India's second longest runway (3400 metres). Its parking space could accommodate some 1,500 cars. Its domestic terminal had 100,000 square feet of built-in area and the international terminal occupied 140,000 square feet.
RE:Cochin International Airport (CIAL) is the best !
by Rajesh Antony on Mar 28, 2007 03:07 PM
Yes, your comments are absolutely right. The following URL http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochin_International_Airport is a further evidence. Also it has received the award for best airport for the last several years. Cochin airport may be having the largest duty free shopping mall.It is going to be the first airport in the world that can be accessed by water transport. The bird's eye view one gets on landing the airport is very exotic
RE:Cochin International Airport (CIAL) is the best !
by Rajesh Antony on Mar 28, 2007 03:09 PM
Yes, your comments are absolutely right. The following URL http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochin_International_Airport is a further evidence. Also it has received the award for best airport for the last several years. Cochin airport may be having the largest duty f
RE:Cochin International Airport (CIAL) is the best !
by vijay baskar on Mar 28, 2007 03:14 PM
its only upcoming and i agre it can be the best...but u cannot term it as the best now
RE:Cochin International Airport (CIAL) is the best !
by bharat on Mar 28, 2007 02:57 PM
Kochi may be the best airport in India and there are reasons too -
1. It is comparitively new (much newer than Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Kolkatta airports) so not surprising if the building, facilities are better than the other older airports.
2. Has to handle much lesser passenger volume compared to Mumbai airport.
RE:Cochin International Airport (CIAL) is the best !
by Deepak EV on Mar 28, 2007 03:07 PM
Average International passengers / month statistics : (NOV 2006)
RE:RE:Cochin International Airport (CIAL) is the best !
by bharat on Mar 28, 2007 03:26 PM
I am not trying to defend Mumbai airport. But the passenger traffic curve will be steeper in the initial years and will plateau off as time progresses. If Cochin continues growth of air traffic at 26% for the next 4 or 5 years, it will overtake Mumbai in terms of the traffic handled. Do you seriously see that happening in 4 to 5 years? If that does happen, surely, Kochi airport's resources would be also put to test.
RE:Cochin International Airport (CIAL) is the best !
by vijay baskar on Mar 28, 2007 03:02 PM
excellent point bharath.. we can comment on cochin only after it serves for 20 yrs like other big airports in chennai,delhi and mumbai
RE:RE:[object MouseEvent]
by Deepak EV on Mar 28, 2007 03:09 PM
Want to see the statistic part of the debate ? and why cochin is fast becoming the best ?..click the following link..
RE:Cochin International Airport (CIAL) is the best !
by vimal ayyappan on Mar 28, 2007 06:54 PM
Excuse me Boss, The question is which is the best airport in india? They didnt asked about the history. This is the best at praesent and the cost of manufacture is very less comparing airports like chennai, kolkatta and mumbai which should be less expense at that time
Without a Doubt Cochin Airport , worlds First Private Airport is the BEST airport in India, Designed in Kerala Architecture, surrounded by Nature, Well Mannered & Educated Workers ( kerala is the most Litterate state in India) & It shows, Unlike in other Parts of India where SC/ST and quota system have Ruined our Reputation. Just Enter Delhi Airports and you will notice what I am saying, Babus at Immigration with no educational background, dirty Uniforms and the list is Endless.
If one has travelled thro Cochin International Airport,one would not have to think twicw about which is the best airport in India !! Cochin is head and shoulders above all the others.
RE:Bangalore
by abhijeet singh on Mar 28, 2007 02:52 PM
the most pathetic airport in the country. all my flying experience from Bangalore has been a horror
RE:Bangalore
by Phani Kumar on Mar 28, 2007 02:54 PM
What a joke! I guess some railway stations are far better off than Bangalore Airport... It just Sucks man!
RE:Bangalore
by PSNepoleon on Mar 28, 2007 02:58 PM
Agreed !! That's why we are building a new Airport on the outskirts which will match international standards.
RE:RE:Bangalore
by Phani Kumar on Mar 28, 2007 03:02 PM
Cool, but it needs to get done before people can start using it... everybody knows the story of flyovers in bangalore and how much time each one takes to complete... what can be expected from the most corrupt state in India.
I have used mostly all International airports in India and i must say Cochin is far ahead of mumbai, delhi, Calcutta, Chennai, Bangalore & Hydrabad. I really don't know how the new airports coming up in India will look like, but AAI should at least try and clean up there existing airports. Mumbai & Delhi airports are not at all safe for tourist arriving in India while Kolkata cares two hoots about their customers (passengers). Bangalore is the biggest looser among all of them, gateway to Indian Silicon valley.
RE:Best Indian Airport
by Shailaja Rao on Mar 28, 2007 03:16 PM
Yes, Cochin Airport is far better than Mumbai for sure, though I have not seen the other airports in India.
It is best, not just in terms of parking space, scenic beauty, longest runway etc.; it is a tension free place. Airport authorities at Cochin are more co-operative, less corrupt and more modern.
We had no option earlier but to land at Mumbai but now Cochin is the best %u2013 no wonder it is God%u2019s Own Country.
The question itself implies that we cannot get any better! The answer is none of them has any size or scale or for that matter proper setup in place! Many people here are saying Cochin! Its such a small airport for heavens sake! Making one huge hall seems to become an AP for we Indians.
In most greatest cities of the world, tourism, employment, trade and commerce has multiplied many times when they had a modern, large capacity airports in place...We dont have one in the whole country that can match upto Changi, Shanghai or HongKong APs. Forget Europe and USA, lets atleast catch up with Asia first!
RE:Best AP in India!
by Felix Devasia on Mar 28, 2007 03:09 PM
Cochin is more like a no-frills airport. You won't get any calssy facilities there, but it's a neat one with good architecture. And regarding the size, it is build to expand as the traffic increases- just notice the new terminal coming up between two existing ones
I have checked through major airports in the country, and I must admit the little-baby Bhubaneswar airport scores well above all on all counts. Surprised!! Come and have a first hand experience.
The ranking of airports cannot be done on voting.Consider many factors like air traffic,crowd, cleanliness and hygiene,amenities,layout plan looks etc.If voting and marking is done for all airports in category of domestic and international then Goa ahmedabad,Chennai will top the list in domestic and Cohin kolkata,delhi will be also rank in international airport. Donot take votes of only bambaiyas.....I have seen better airports then Mumbai like Goa, chennai ,ahmedabad . Mumbai is down the list. In Chennai the facility is better where the aircraft takes directly to the longue while this facility is not in Mumbai. Only the service providers are more in Mumbai due to more international connection.
OOps who told mumbai is the best,,its just like telling as hindi movies and hindi stars are best in india,without watching any other language movies or stars performance,,, Ask the people who told about mumbai to come to see the south indian airports,, Mumbai airport is best in two things now,,crowd and corruption,,
RE:cochin is the best
by bharat on Mar 28, 2007 02:52 PM
It would be no surprise of all the airports that have been built comparitively recently are better than the older ones. In that respect, it is hardly surprising if Kochi airport is better than Mumbai. This is helped by the fact that Kerala is India's most literate state and flush with NRI money!
Regarding corruption, I think it is not so rampant as it used to be in the past. I have not had any problems or harrasment from the immigration and customs at Mumbai.
