Kochi: Bringing cheers to the expat community and tourists during the pandemic, Cochin International Airport Ltd has enhanced Europe connectivity in a big way. CIAL has proposed to schedule three flights from London a week. Air India will operate services on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday in LHR-COK-LHR sector from August 22, 2021.
As per the current schedule, Air India operates one LHR-COK-LHR service this week. The AI 150/149 arrives Kochi on Wednesday, the 18th of August 2021 at 03:45hrs and departs at 05:50hrs LT. Two more services have been enlisted from August 22, 2021 making the total weekly operation three in this much-favoured sector.
CIAL Managing Director S Suhas IAS has said that the updated schedule will stimulate the aviation as well as tourism sectors in the time of the distress. "CIAL is delighted to host 3 flights from London a week. This is the highest number of flight services that have been scheduled in this sector in the history of CIAL. It gives a shot in the arm for the effort taken by Government of Kerala and CIAL to establish frequent connectivity to Europe,” added Suhas.
The new timetable schedules the operation of flights in the sector on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. AI 150/149 arrives COK at 03:00 and departs to Heathrow at 13:20. On Wednesdays and Fridays, the arr/dep operations are scheduled at 03:45/13:20. The flight will take 10 hrs. CIAL has waived parking and landing fee to the airlines operating in the European sector as part of its persistent effort to improve global connectivity.
India currently belongs to the UK Government’s amber list. Entering the UK from places on the amber list requires three Covid-19 tests - the first, at least three days prior to departure; the second, on the day of arrival or before Day 2; and the third, on or after Day 8. Home quarantine for 10 days is also mandatory. For UK nationals who are fully vaccinated, neither quarantine nor the Day 8 test is required. People who have been fully vaccinated in the United States or many European countries will not need to quarantine when they arrive in England or take the Day 8 test.