The brand new international passenger terminal at CIAL (Cochin International Airport Limited)is expected to be officially launched on Friday (26 February 016) in a ceremony overseen by Oommen Chandy, Kerala’s Chief Minister.

The commercial operations of the new terminal will begin on May 26 and the new terminal will be known as Terminal-3 or T-3. salient features of the new international terminal are elevation to feature Kerala Temple architecture, two level terminal-arrival at ground level and departure at first-level, finger pier concept to handle 13-15 aircraft through aerobridges during peak operation.

The two-level facility will cover a total area of almost 1.4 lakhs m² and will feature more than 100 check-in counters, 19 boarding gates, 15 aerobridges and six baggage reclaim belts. It will be able to handle 4,000 passengers per hour.

Developed in a record time of two years, according to airport officials, the project is estimated to have cost of INR 10 billion (US$145 million).

Kochi (or Cochin) International Airport handled a total of 6.4m passengers in the 2014-15 financial year, with a growth rate of 19% compared to the previous 12-month period. Aircraft movements increased 12% to 52,793.

At present, the international terminal can handle only five aircrafts. The Kerala hub handles multiple Indian and international carriers, including Emirates, Etihad, AirAsia, Qatar Airways and SilkAir.

The airport was the first in the country to be completely powered by solar power with the commissioning of a 12-MW solar project last year.

Photovoltaic panels laid across 45 acres near the cargo complex produce 50,000 to 60,000 units of electricity per day. It is consumed for all operational functions, technically making the airport absolutely power neutral.

The Kerala hub handles multiple Indian and international carriers, including Emirates, Etihad, AirAsia, Qatar Airways and SilkAir.