--- iata: COK name: Cochin International Airport city: Kochi country: India lastUpdated: '2026-09-07' officialWebsite: 'https://www.cial.aero/' sources: - 'https://www.cial.aero/' - 'https://www.cial.aero/Airport-Information/Passenger-Terminals' - 'https://cial.aero/Airport-Information/Technical-Information' - 'https://www.cial.aero/Our-Facilities/DigiYatra' - 'https://www.cial.aero/News-Updates/BoD2026' - 'https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochin_International_Airport' - >- https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/2026/May/08/cochin-international-airport-records-22-growth-in-passenger-traffic-in-2025-26 - >- https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/logistics/cochin-international-airport-says-fy26-profit-surpasses-500-cr-on-higher-revenue/article71324021.ece - 'https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/india/cochin-international' - >- https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/india/cochin-international/cok3-earth-lounge - >- https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/india/cochin-international/cok2-earth-lounge - 'https://kochimetro.org/feeder-service-time-table' - >- https://www.onmanorama.com/news/kerala/2026/09/01/kochi-metro-angamaly-extension.html - >- https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/kochi/2026/Sep/02/kochi-metro-phase-3-dpr-envisions-the-easy-flight quickFacts: - >- Cochin International Airport (IATA COK / ICAO VOCI) is Kerala’s main civil gateway at Nedumbassery in Ernakulam district, roughly 25–28 km northeast of central Kochi / Ernakulam Junction. Operator and majority public–private company is Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) — India’s first airport built under a PPP model (commercial ops from 10 Jun 1999 after a 25 May 1999 inauguration). Passenger site: cial.aero. Civilian field with small Naval Air Enclave / Coast Guard facilities on the complex — passenger terminals are not a military skip. - >- Two scheduled-passenger terminals plus a business-jet hall, with no sterile domestic↔international link. Terminal 1 = domestic (former international shell, renovated and reopened 12 Dec 2018; ~55,742 m² / ~600,000 sq ft). Terminal 3 = international (opened March 2017; Kerala / Thrissur Pooram theme; ~150,000+ m²). Terminal 2 = business-jet / charter / VVIP gateway (~40,000 sq ft) — not the scheduled narrow-body check-in hall. Always trust the boarding pass terminal letter. - >- Traffic: CIAL FY2025–26 (Apr 2025–Mar 2026) 11,442,583 passengers (+2.2%; 6,040,644 domestic / 5,401,939 international) and 73,134 aircraft movements (41,629 domestic / 31,505 international) — fourth consecutive financial year above 10 million. AAI annex tables for the same FY cite 11,302,552 passengers / 71,722 movements / 68,074.6 t cargo. Prefer the operator CIAL release for headline passengers; cite AAI when you need the freight row. Roughly eighth-busiest Indian passenger airport and a top-five India international gateway on recent MoCA rankings. - >- Single asphalt runway 09/27 ~3,400–3,445 × 45 m (CIAL technical page cites 3,400 m; Wikipedia/AIP-derived tables often 3,445 m), Code E, full-length parallel taxiway. Elev ~9 m / 30 ft. CAT I ILS both ends; CIAL notes CAT-3 compatible AGL on runway 27 (lighting, not a full CAT-III ILS product). World’s first fully solar-powered airport (Aug 2015); UN Champions of the Earth 2018. DigiYatra live with CIAL’s in-house software stack. - >- Ground: no metro station at the terminals yet. Kochi Metro Phase 3 DPR (submitted ~Sep 2026) plans an Aluva–Angamaly corridor with an Airport station near the Taj landside between T1 and T3 — treat ~2031 completion talk as planning. Today: KMRL Pavandoot / airport feeder to Aluva metro terminus (commonly ~₹80 / ~20–30 min; confirm live KMRL board), then Blue Line into the city; CIAL prepaid taxi counters both terminals; Ola/Uber; KSRTC airport coaches toward Aluva / Ernakulam. - >- Lounges (live Priority Pass directory Sep 2026): exactly two experiences — Earth Lounge Terminal 1 domestic (04:00–23:30, max stay 3 hours, ~3.9/5) and Earth Lounge Terminal 3 international (00:00–23:59, ~3.8/5; PP location post-immigration escalator to 3rd floor by the food court). Ignore aggregator blogs that still brand these as Plaza Premium / Travel Club or invent extra soft rooms — the live PP airport page lists Earth Lounge ×2 only. Air India Maharaja remains airline entitlement, not Priority Pass. bentoTips: - label: Timing title: Leave slack for NH 544 / Aluva traffic and the T1↔T3 landside hop detail: >- Nedumbassery sits ~25–28 km northeast of Ernakulam Junction / MG Road. Off-peak taxis often do 40–60 minutes; weekday NH 544 / Aluva / InfoPark peaks and monsoon evenings routinely stretch past 75–90+ minutes. Domestic DigiYatra banks still want you at T1 ~90–120 minutes early; Gulf / Middle East evening banks at T3 want a full ~3 hours for immigration and security. Same-day T3↔T1 connections always mean landside transfer + re-clearance — budget 2.5–3+ hours on separate tickets. summary: >- Road distance looks short on a map; peak NH 544 and the T1/T3 split still eat connection buffers. category: timing - label: Terminal title: 'T1 = domestic, T3 = international, T2 = business jet — ignore old maps' detail: >- After March 2017, international ops live in Terminal 3; the renovated former international hall became Terminal 1 domestic (reopened 12 Dec 2018). Terminal 2 is the business-jet / charter / VVIP product — not where IndiGo / Air India Express scheduled passengers check in. There is no sterile domestic↔international walk; use the landside campus road / shuttle between T1 and T3. summary: Scheduled traffic = T1 domestic or T3 international; T2 is GA/charter. category: terminal - label: Food title: Match Earth Lounge to your terminal before random airside QSR markup detail: >- Live Priority Pass covers Earth Lounge in both T1 and T3 with mid-to-high 3s ratings and a hard 3-hour stay on the domestic listing (international PP page also carries alcohol limits — two spirits or one beer complimentary, extras paid). Do not assume Plaza Premium / Travel Club branding from third-party blogs. Landside sealed snacks before CISF remain the honest cheap backup when you have no lounge access. summary: >- PP holders use Earth Lounge in the matching terminal; aggregator brand names are stale. category: food - label: Status title: Single runway + CAT I + Kerala monsoon — weather still owns some banks detail: >- One Code E strip with CAT I ILS both ends (CAT-3 compatible AGL on 27 helps lighting, not magic CAT-III minima). Southwest monsoon weeks and heavy convective evenings still cascade Gulf banks when inbounds hold. Prefer earlier daytime domestic connectors when the forecast looks ugly, and do not treat solar-power marketing as an on-time guarantee. summary: 'Dual ILS helps, but one runway and monsoon weather remain the soft spot.' category: status lounges: - name: Earth Lounge (Domestic Terminal 1) zone: >- Airside Terminal 1 domestic departures — after security take the lift to the 2nd floor; lounge on the right (Priority Pass cok3-earth-lounge). hours: '04:00-23:30' access: - Priority Pass / LoungeKey / DragonPass (confirm live PP listing) - >- Indian premium credit-card programmes that route through PP / DragonPass / Dreamfolks-successor networks (confirm issuer) - >- Walk-in paid (confirm desk — aggregator day-pass bands commonly ~₹1,800–2,500) bestFor: - >- Domestic IndiGo / Air India / Air India Express / Akasa departures from T1 - Priority Pass holders on pure domestic itineraries summary: >- Live Priority Pass domestic soft room (~3.9/5, 850+ reviews) with a published 3-hour max stay and free entry for children under 7 — the honest PP play when your boarding pass says Terminal 1. verdict: worth-it terminal: Terminal 1 amenities: - Soft seating / refreshments (confirm day-of buffet vs light offerings) - Wi-Fi / flight information - Air conditioning / accessible access - Newspapers / magazines (per PP facility list) - name: Earth Lounge (International Terminal 3) zone: >- Airside Terminal 3 international departures — after security and passport control, escalator on the right to the 3rd floor; lounge left of the food court (Priority Pass cok2-earth-lounge). Expansion works have been noted on some lounge-network pages while remaining open — confirm day-of. hours: '00:00-23:59' access: - Priority Pass / LoungeKey / DragonPass (confirm live PP listing) - >- Premium credit-card programmes that route through PP / DragonPass (confirm issuer) - Walk-in paid (confirm desk) bestFor: - Gulf / Middle East / Southeast Asia evening banks from T3 - Priority Pass holders after immigration summary: >- Live Priority Pass international soft room (~3.8/5, 1,000+ reviews) open essentially 24 hours — watch alcohol limits on the PP conditions page (commonly two spirits or one beer complimentary) and smart-casual dress. Some network mirrors still note expansion works with the lounge remaining open. verdict: worth-it terminal: Terminal 3 amenities: - Soft seating / refreshments - Alcohol (standard — limited complimentary pours; extras paid per PP) - Wi-Fi / flight information - Air conditioning / accessible access - Showers reported on some lounge-network mirrors (confirm desk) - À la carte menu often extra payment - name: Air India Maharaja Lounge zone: >- Airline-entitlement lounge for Air India cabin / Maharaja Club / eligible Star Alliance Gold — typically airside Terminal 3 for international AI banks; confirm the live Air India COK airport page / boarding pass desk pin on the travel day. hours: >- Confirm airline — aggregator pages historically cite roughly 04:00-22:00 bands access: - Air India First / Business cabin entitlement - Maharaja Club elite tiers (confirm current benefits chart) - Eligible Star Alliance Gold on qualifying metal (confirm desk) - Not Priority Pass bestFor: - Air India cabin / elite passengers only summary: >- Useful if your ticket already unlocks Maharaja access, but it is not a Priority Pass substitute — and aggregator “Plaza Premium / Travel Club” directories of Earth Lounge are not the Maharaja room either. verdict: depends terminal: Terminal 3 (confirm airline desk) amenities: - Buffet / soft seating - Wi-Fi / flight information waterOptions: - kind: purchase name: Landside sealed retail water zone: landside price: Commonly ~₹20–40 for 500ml–1L PET (confirm shelf tag) summary: >- Cheapest honest bottle before CISF — buy here, empty if needed for screening, then refill or buy airside only if you must. location: Convenience kiosks and café counters in the public check-in halls terminal: Terminal 1 / Terminal 3 check-in halls isBestValue: true - kind: purchase name: Airside retail water zone: airside price: Marked-up PET — often ~₹40–80+ (confirm shelf) summary: >- Backup once you are past CIQ; expect airport markup versus the landside kiosk. location: Food-court / duty-free corridors after security (T1) or immigration (T3) terminal: Terminal 1 / Terminal 3 airside - kind: purchase name: Earth Lounge drinks zone: airside price: Included with accepted lounge entitlement (alcohol limits / extras on PP) summary: >- Best quality hydration if you already have PP / card access — not a public fountain substitute. location: Inside the matching Earth Lounge after the desk scan terminal: Matching Earth Lounge (T1 or T3) isBestQuality: true - kind: refill name: Carry-empty then buy/refill opportunistically zone: airside summary: >- COK does not publish a dense bottle-filler map — treat empty-through-security plus a landside purchase as the reliable plan. location: >- Pass empty bottle through CISF, then use café courtesy fills or buy sealed PET near your gate cluster terminal: All passenger terminals airportistScore: 6.7 slug: cok region: Asia-Pacific --- > Markdown for [/airports/cok](/airports/cok). Append `.md` to any page URL (or send `Accept: text/markdown`) for an agent-readable copy. - [HTML page](/airports/cok) - [Lounge directory](/airports/cok/lounges.md) - [Sitemap](/sitemap.md) # Cochin International Airport (COK) Kochi, India · Asia-Pacific COK pairs a clear T1-domestic / T3-international split and solid Earth Lounge Priority Pass coverage with a still-metro-less ~25–28 km Nedumbassery road ride — solar showcase, single-runway monsoon tax. ## Airportist Score **6.7 / 10** Weighted sum of the six published categories (no holistic fudge). - Ease of use (25%): 7.2 — Wayfinding, security wait, and layout. - Comfort & amenities (20%): 7.0 — Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet. - Food & retail (15%): 6.4 — Food and retail quality and variety. - Ground access (15%): 6.0 — Transit, taxi, and parking to the city. - Reliability (15%): 6.4 — Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience. - Lounges (10%): 6.8 — Worth-it density and access quality. ## At a glance - Passengers: 11.4M (FY2025–26 CIAL) - Terminals: 2 scheduled passenger terminals (T1 domestic, T3 international) + T2 business jet - Typical security: 22 min - On-time: 74% - Disruption: minor ## Best for - Priority Pass holders who want Earth Lounge on both domestic and international sides - Gulf / Middle East travelers using the newer Terminal 3 hall - Budget riders who can combine the KMRL airport feeder with Aluva metro - Travelers who value DigiYatra and a compact two-terminal scheduled campus ## Watch out for - No sterile T1↔T3 transfer and T2 business-jet confusion on old maps - No metro at the terminals yet — Phase 3 is still DPR / ~2031 planning - Single runway + CAT I in Southwest monsoon weeks - Aggregator lounge pages that invent Plaza Premium / Travel Club brands ## More intel - [Lounge directory](/airports/cok/lounges.md) (free) - [Getting there](/airports/cok/getting-there.md) (free) - [Amenities](/airports/cok/amenities.md) - [Traveler tips](/airports/cok/tips.md) - [Water](/airports/cok/water.md) - [Full guide](/airports/cok/guide.md) - [Disruptions](/airports/cok/disruptions.md) - [Reviews](/airports/cok/reviews.md)