Kochi: The Cochin International Airport Limited (Cial) authorities plan to develop the airport as a transit hub for passengers flying on low-fare carriers between Far East and Middle East countries.
Keeping in mind the strategic advantage that Cial has due to its mid-point location between Far East and Middle East Asian airports, the authorities are working on attracting domestic low-cost airlines. Working in their favour is the increasing number of passengers who use the airport as a transit destination to take connected flights on this route.
“We are exploring Cial’s potential as a transit destination to enable passengers shift between low-cost flights operating between the Middle East and Far East. This will help the middleclass and working-class passengers travelling in this route to complete their journey at 30% to 40% lower cost when compared to what they have to spend for full-fare carriers those have direct services between Far East and Middle East countries,” said ACK Nair, airport director, Cial.
The non-stop travelling time from Kochi to Middle-East destinations like Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Bahrain is around 4 hours. Similarly, the potential destinations in the Far East like Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and even airports in Indonesia and Cambodia can also be reached in 4 or 5 hours in non-stop flights. “This makes Cial a perfect transit hub like Dubai,” said ACK Nair, airport director, Cial.
Usually people who are travelling in the route depend on full-fare carriers, like Emirates or Air Arabia that have direct services. But the ticket price is often high even when it is booked a month in advance. Now, those who take a break in Kochi arrive from one destination to Cial in a foreign carrier and then take another foreign carrier to their final destination.
“But our plan is to ensure that they reach Cial in a low-cost flight from the Middle East, take a break for one-two hours, and then take their journey ahead in the same low-cost carrier to the Far East; this will cost them a much lower price than a direct flight on full-fare carrier,” hesaid.
13/12/18 Times of India
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Keeping in mind the strategic advantage that Cial has due to its mid-point location between Far East and Middle East Asian airports, the authorities are working on attracting domestic low-cost airlines. Working in their favour is the increasing number of passengers who use the airport as a transit destination to take connected flights on this route.
“We are exploring Cial’s potential as a transit destination to enable passengers shift between low-cost flights operating between the Middle East and Far East. This will help the middleclass and working-class passengers travelling in this route to complete their journey at 30% to 40% lower cost when compared to what they have to spend for full-fare carriers those have direct services between Far East and Middle East countries,” said ACK Nair, airport director, Cial.
The non-stop travelling time from Kochi to Middle-East destinations like Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Bahrain is around 4 hours. Similarly, the potential destinations in the Far East like Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and even airports in Indonesia and Cambodia can also be reached in 4 or 5 hours in non-stop flights. “This makes Cial a perfect transit hub like Dubai,” said ACK Nair, airport director, Cial.
Usually people who are travelling in the route depend on full-fare carriers, like Emirates or Air Arabia that have direct services. But the ticket price is often high even when it is booked a month in advance. Now, those who take a break in Kochi arrive from one destination to Cial in a foreign carrier and then take another foreign carrier to their final destination.
“But our plan is to ensure that they reach Cial in a low-cost flight from the Middle East, take a break for one-two hours, and then take their journey ahead in the same low-cost carrier to the Far East; this will cost them a much lower price than a direct flight on full-fare carrier,” hesaid.
13/12/18 Times of India
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