Etihad Airways Resumes Flight Services to Kozhikode Airport After a Two-Year Hiatus
Etihad Airways is set to resume flight operations at Kozhikode International Airport from January 1, 2024, marking its return after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The airline had temporarily ceased services due to restrictions on operating wide-bodied aircraft. Etihad previously operated four daily services between Kozhikode and Abu Dhabi.
The resumption of Etihad’s Kozhikode-Abu Dhabi service aligns with the easing of restrictions on wide-bodied aircraft at the airport. The flights, with a capacity of up to 300 passengers, have received permission to operate via Kozhikode.
According to the latest schedule, the Abu Dhabi-bound flight will depart at 2:20 p.m. and arrive at Karipur airport by 7:05 p.m. The return flight from Karipur to Abu Dhabi will take off at 9:30 p.m. and reach its destination by 12:05 a.m. Discussions are underway to introduce additional services on this route.
In addition to Etihad’s return, Air India Express will launch services between Kozhikode and Bengaluru starting from January 16. The Bengaluru-bound flight will depart at 8:15 p.m. from Kozhikode, reaching Bengaluru by 9:15 p.m. The return flight from Bengaluru at 6:45 p.m. will land at Karipur airport by 7:45 p.m.
Ticket rates for domestic flights on this route will start from Rs 2,990. Currently, IndiGo is the only airline operating the Kozhikode-Bengaluru service, with 15 services per week. IndiGo operates three services on Tuesdays and two services per day for the rest of the week, with ticket prices starting at Rs 2,800.
