It needs a knee-jerk reaction to start a thing, but it takes passion and purpose to continue it. If it is for 20 long years, then definitely a milestone to celebrate. Emirates, today, is celebrating 20 years of flying to Cochin, a significant milestone that needs commendation. To mark the major milestone, flight EK530 arriving from Dubai at 08:05, received a water cannon salute from Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL).
Back in 2002, Cochin became Emirates 5th Gateway in India:
The connection between Emirates and Cochin began in 2002 when the international airline started operations to Southwest Indian city, which became Emirates' fifth gateway in India.
Two Decades of Carrying Passengers and Operating Flights:
If you are looking for numbers, and for that matter, in the past two decades, Emirates has carried over 6.1 million passengers between Cochin and the airline's hub in Dubai on over 23,000 flights, catering to the sizeable Malayali diaspora in the UAE, in addition to other global locations.
Current Operational Flights
Currently, Emirates operates 14 weekly flights between Dubai and Cochin, which is a major tourist destination for inbound traffic.
Also Read: Emirates Adds Five Boeing 777 Freighters to Its Cargo Fleet
On the occasion of the 20-year milestone, Mohammad Sarhan, Emirates' Vice President - India & Nepal, said, "Today marks twenty years of a warm and prosperous relationship between Emirates and CIAL. As we complete two decades of serving our customers in Cochin, we look forward to welcoming more passengers onboard flying to and from Dubai and the rest of our vast network."
"Our mission is to provide our customers with premium travel experiences and exceptional connectivity, wherever they may be travelling. This is why we continuously invest in our onboard products and services, and provide memorable travel experiences with regionally-inspired cuisine, celebrating Onam onboard during the festive season, and have Malayalam content onboard to suit the tastes of our customers. Our Malayalam-speaking crew on flights to Cochin also ensure our passengers feel at home when flying with us."
Top Destinations Passengers Fly From Cochin:
Top international destinations for passengers from Cochin include UK cities London, Manchester, Birmingham, Dublin, Rome, Auckland, Toronto, and US cities - Chicago, New York, San Francisco, and Houston. Similar trends are followed by passengers travelling inbound into Cochin, along with the addition of Kuwait as one of the top markets.
Dinesh Kumar C, Airport Director, Cochin International Airport Limited, added: "We wish to extend hearty congratulations to Emirates airline for completing 20 years of success in operation at CIAL. The partnership between CIAL and Emirates airline is prestigious and is beyond the individuals involved. Let us work together to achieve greater goals in the years to come."
Do You Know? Emirates started operations to India with its scheduled services to Mumbai and Delhi in 1985.
Emirates Supported the Economy by Lifting Fresh Produce, Flowers and Spices
India is known for spices, and Cochin Airport is a major commercial airport for exports. Emirates SkyCargo, the freight division of Emirates, has continuously supported the economy by facilitating the uplift of over 125,000 tonnes of fresh produce, fresh flowers and spices from Cochin.
Trade became more comfortable since these flights began carrying commodities in the bellyhold of widebody Boeing 777 aircraft to destinations such as the UAE, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, USA and France.
Popular Cargo Items Uplifted By Emirates:
CIAL is also a significant export station for Trichur, Kottayam, Palakkad, and Pathanamthitta districts in Kerala. The popular cargo items uplifted by Emirates SkyCargo into Cochin are engineering goods, chemicals, electronics, perfumes and valuable items, topping more than 42,000 tonnes over 20 years. UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and USA are some of the top markets from where the import items originate.
Here's to many more!
