Planning a trip to Kerala later this year? Note this big change! Starting November 20, 2019, there will be no flight operations during daytime at the Cochin International Airport. According to the airport operator, Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL), there will be no daytime flight service for four months due to runway re-carpeting works. A statement issued by the airport stated that as the mandatory runway re-carpeting work of Kochi airport is due in the month of November, CIAL has instructed all the operating airlines to re-schedule their daytime flight services for four months from November 20, 2019 to March 28, 2020. Thus, there will be no flight operations from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM during that period.
As per the norms, all airports should re-carpet their runways once in around 10 years. According to a PTI report, the commercial operations at Kochi airport started in 1999 and the runway underwent its first re-carpeting in the year 2009. This is going to be the second re-carpeting work for the 3400 metres long and 60-metre wide runway. The entire re-carpeting work, which includes re-tarring, maintenance and overhauling of the entire stretch of the runway as well as the taxiway will cost Rs 151 crore.
