Cochin International Airport will open a round-the-clock Sabarimala pilgrim facilitation centre on November 17, offering transport bookings, pilgrimage assistance, taxi services, food and rest facilities to passengers travelling to the hill shrine.
Set up by Cochin International Airport Ltd (Cial), the 5,000-square-foot centre is located near the police aid post beside the domestic arrival terminal. The facility is scheduled to be inaugurated by Chief Minister V D Satheesan, who will also flag off the airport-linked KSRTC bus service.
The centre will operate 24 hours a day during the pilgrimage season. Pilgrims will be able to book KSRTC bus services to and from the airport, as well as chartered bus services. A dedicated counter has also been arranged for bookings related to helicopter services.
The facility will include a devaswom help desk, a prasadam coupon counter and a prepaid taxi booking facility. It will also have a vegetarian food outlet and a rest area for pilgrims arriving at or departing from the airport. A flight information display system has been installed to provide real-time updates on flight operations.
The inauguration programme will be presided over by Minister Roji M John. Anwar Sadath, MLA, and Benny Behanan, MP, will attend as guests of honour, while Cial managing director S Suhas will deliver the welcome address. Elected representatives of local self-government institutions in the region are also expected to participate.
The facility is being opened at the start of the Malayalam month of Vrischikam, which marks the beginning of the annual Sabarimala pilgrimage period. By placing the centre next to the domestic arrival terminal, the airport is bringing transport, pilgrimage and passenger-support services into a single access point for arriving devotees.
The centre handled around 11,000 pilgrims last year, according to the information released by Cial. Its users included pilgrims from Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, as well as devotees travelling from Malaysia and Singapore.
The airport’s arrangements also underline the role of Kochi as a major gateway for pilgrims travelling to Sabarimala. The availability of bus, taxi, helicopter-booking and help-desk services within the terminal area is intended to help passengers organise the onward journey after landing, while the round-the-clock schedule aligns the facility with flight arrivals and departures across the day.
The KSRTC service will be formally flagged off during the November 17 inauguration. The airport has not provided further details in the supplied announcement on the number of daily services, fares or the operating timetable.
