Cochin International Airport (COK)

Cochin International Airport (COK) is the international airport serving Kochi and central Kerala, at Nedumbassery about 28 km north-east of the city centre. It is the main gateway for direct flights between Singapore and Kerala, and one of the busiest airports in India for international passengers, with heavy traffic to the Gulf.

Cochin International Airport opened in 1999 as the first airport in India built under a public-private partnership, funded in part by thousands of non-resident Keralites working abroad. In 2015 it became the first airport in the world to run entirely on solar power, with large solar fields beside the runway and on nearby land, and it later won a United Nations environmental award for the project. For HSJ travellers, it is where your Kerala journey begins: after immigration and customs, your driver meets you in the arrivals hall.

What to see

• The solar fields beside the runway, visible on approach
• Kerala-style architecture in the international terminal, with sloping tiled roofs
• Duty-free shops with Kerala spices, tea, coffee and banana chips
• Foreign exchange counters, SIM card desks and prepaid taxi counters in arrivals
• Cafes and restaurants on both sides of security

What to wear

For the flight from Singapore and your arrival in Kochi, wear light, breathable cotton and comfortable shoes; Kerala is warm and humid all year, much like Singapore. Keep a light layer for the air-conditioned cabin and for the cooler air if you are driving up to Munnar the same day. From June to September, carry a compact umbrella. If a temple or church visit is planned soon after landing, pack a scarf or shirt that covers shoulders and knees. Kerala's traditional dress is the kasavu saree and white mundu.

Local food to try

The airport has food courts and cafes with South Indian snacks such as masala dosa, idli, vada and filter coffee, and Kerala banana chips and halwa to take home. Once in Kochi, look for appam with stew, karimeen pollichathu, fish moilee and a Kerala sadya on a banana leaf. Malabar biryani and beef fry with parotta are popular, and halal food is widely available. Vegetarian travellers will find plenty of choice across Kerala.

Good to know

• Best time: Kerala's dry season, October to March, is the most comfortable for touring
• Open 24 hours
• No entry fee; only ticketed passengers may enter the terminal
• Allow three hours before international departures
• About 40 km, or one to one and a half hours, from Fort Kochi, and about 110 km from Munnar
• Keep your passport and e-visa printout handy for immigration

Nearby places

From Cochin International Airport, most itineraries head south-west to Fort Kochi's Chinese Fishing Nets and St. Francis Church, or east into the Western Ghats past Cheeyappara Waterfalls to the tea hills of Munnar.