Cochin Airport leads the way in offering technical Landing for refueling of airplanes flying in international routes

Facilitating technical landing for airplane flying in international routes  has becoming a revenue source for Cochin International airport.  Cochin Airport  started facilitating technical landing for refuelling of flights operating in the nearby International  route in July 2022 owing to the fuel crisis in the island nation of Sri lanka. Factors like excellent fuel hydrant facilities as well as the proximity by just 70 minutes of flying time have made Cochin a preferential stop-over hub for airlines that needed refuelling.

Having established as a major airport in the Indian subcontinent and capable of addressing technical requirements for aircraft up to Code E category, the in-built hydrant fuelling system at Cochin Airport meets the quick turnaround requirement of international carriers. The technical landing facility is being done for the for the first time in the history of Kochi airport.

Since the Sri Lanka fuel crisis started, airlines bound to Colombo from the Middle East or flying out from Colombo to the Middle East/European destinations started using the Cochin airport refuelling facility. The last 3 months saw 154 aircraft flying either in Colombo-Europe or Colombo-Middle East sectors opting for Cochin airport’s technical landing capability and uplifted 80,30,126 litres of ATF from Kochi airport. Since 29th July, eighteen flights operated by Sri Lankan Airlines (bound to  Colombo, London Heathrow and Frankfurt),Air Arabia (to Sharjah), Jazeera Airways (bound to Kuwait) and  Kuala Lumpur bound Air Asia Berhad (all flying out from Colombo) used the technical landing facility of CIAL.

S.Suhas IAS, Managing Director CIAL has said that CIAL’s prompt response and adaptability to changing situations have helped connect with foreign carriers and make available its fuel hydrant system to tide over a commercial aviation crisis.  “ The system established at Cochin Airport has the potential to serve more airlines, whether for a planned stopover or for any unplanned technical stopovers. The company has started discussions with airlines using this flying route offering to make use of its facility. Quick response by Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) in terms of efficient apron management by making available fuel hydrant system for such requirement, more aircraft could effectively be accommodated on the apron without affecting scheduled operations in any way ’’ – Suhas added.