Essentials Of Calicut International Airport – Terminals, Hotels & More!
Calicut Airport is an international airport which serves the Metropolitan area of Kozhikode, Malabar, Malappuram in Kerala.
Also known as Karipur Airport, it serves as an operating base for Air India Express. Based on the figures, it is the twelfth busiest airport in India when it comes to overall passenger traffic. And it is also the third busiest airport in Kerala too. In the year 2006, it got the status of an international airport.
TERMINALS:
Calicut airport has 35 check-in counters, 6 customer counters, 5 security counters, and 12 immigration counters. Talking about the terminals, the airport has two terminals:
Domestic Terminal:
The domestic terminal at the airport supports the operations of domestic and regional flights only within the country. It handles around 80 to 90 flights per week; mainly it is the hub of Air India. The terminal has the capacity to handle almost 250 passengers on peak hours.
The terminal 1 of the airport serves as a Domestic Terminal between Calicut and other major cities of India.
Talking about the levels, the domestic terminal has a single level. It hosts either Arrivals or Departures and also has several amenities and services for their passengers. At the ground floor, you can witness the Arrivals Hall and departures Hall along with the lounge, restaurants, shops, bars and many more facilities. At the domestic terminal, there are two passenger entry and exit gates.
The following airlines are operated in Domestic Terminal; Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo, Jet Airways, SpiceJet, and others.
International Terminal:
As the name suggests, the international terminal of the Kozhikode Airport supports the operations of international flights all around the world. The terminal was built in order to host the international flights after the international airport status was received in 2006.
FACILITIES:
LOUNGES:
Passengers can easily get an entry in the lounge at the Calicut airport regardless of the class in which they are traveling.
Al Hind Malabar Palace Executive Lounge: The lounge is located at the International Terminal, (Airside) at 1st Floor. The services of the lounge are available 24 hours. You can get an access to the lounge by paying at the door.
HOTELS:
There are a number of hotels available nearby the airport, especially for those who can’t sleep or spend time at the airport. These are:
| S.No. | HOTELS | LOCATION |
| 1 | Punna Residency | Located 200m from the airport |
| 2 | Pulikkal Tourist Home | Located 200m from the airport |
| 3 | Park Residency | 9.6 km away from the airport |
| 4 | OYO 6210 Pookodans International Hotels | 1.8 km away from the airport |
| 5 | Paradise Tourist Home
Kondotti |
0.4 km from Calicut International Airport |
| 6 | Redbell Residency | 0.5 km away from the airport |
| 7 | Hotel Calicut Gate | 10.4 km away from the airport |
| 8 | The Raviz Calicut | 22.2 km from Calicut International Airport |
ATM SERVICES:
Passengers can easily find the ATM and cash machine services at the Domestic Departures as well as at the International Arrivals.
BANKING:
At the International Terminal Departures and Arrivals areas, passengers can avail the banking services as Vijaya Bank kiosks are located there.
CURRENCY EXCHANGE:
At the Calicut Airport, NL Forex offers currency exchange. It is located at the International Departures as well as at International Arrivals.
DISABLED SERVICES:
Perhaps the wheelchair service available at the airport, but passengers with reduced mobility must coordinate with their airline.
DUTY-FREE & SHOPPING:
At the International Departures and Arrivals areas of the airport, the Flemingo Duty-Free shops offer duty-free shopping. Passengers can get the glimpse of a variety of stalls selling souvenirs and local crafts are available throughout the airport.
FAMILY SERVICES:
Passengers traveling with kids can easily avail the services of the Child Care Room, free of charge.
FOOD & DRINKS:
A number of options are available for the passengers during regular business hours in both the international and domestic terminals; landside as well as airside.
INFORMATION DESK:
You can reach the information desk at the Calicut Airport arrivals (domestic) hall.
LUGGAGE WRAPPING:
This service is available landside in the international departures hall.
TRANSPORTATION:
Bus:
For the comfort of passengers, KSRTC buses are available which link the airport with various parts of the city like Kasargod, Kozhikode, etc.
Taxis:
To reach the city center from the airport, prepaid taxis are readily available. You can pay for your journey at the Prepaid Taxi booth in Arrivals before commencing your journey. You can also hire the metered taxis and auto-rickshaws on the street for rides to the airport.
PARKING:
The Calicut International airport can support more than 800 cars. Being located within a short walk from the airport terminals, it has both short-term and long-term parking options for the passengers. The drop & go option is there if you wish to park in front of the terminal.
You can also use the Payless Parking option, which allows you to park your car according to the length of your trip, free baggage service and a free shuttle ride to the airport.
REVIEWS:
Kevin Roderick:
The airport is not very complicated to travel through. A handful of airline operates out of here. On arrival, the immigration staff isn’t the friendliest. They can at times be very rude. Prepaid cabs are a blessing for someone new to India. Do not agree with their offers of taking you beyond the point that was agreed upon. They might charge you more. There is no café available inside the airport from the point of entry till the boarding gate. Leaves one in discomfort until the end! And to add to that, the female staff (dark skinned lady) at the small cafe nearest to the boarding gate 1 is extremely rude.
Mithun Balakrishnan:
I have traveled to various international airports in India, but I would personally rate this as the worst experience. The AC hardly works inside the airport. Very limited eating options and literally no lounge facility. It’s literally comparable to a railway station. The airport is a total mayhem and full of chaos. Arrival is even worse with a single custom screening counter causing large queues. Baggage takes a long time to come out on arrival. Kozhikode is supposed to be one of the top 10 in India in a number of international passengers, and it’s in such a dire state. I believe that the state needs to focus on its existing airports before investing in new ones.
Ashwyn Vinay:
As on today, the condition of this airport is pathetic. The airport staff is unable to handle the crowd. In the domestic departure, there are not enough seats. The flight staff here is also not capable of dealing with foreigners. As an international airport, at least communication in English is expected. The CISF people for security check and main gate are not enough; as a result, you can see long queues. Plus, there is only 1 refreshment stall near the domestic gates. As I see it, the airport has a huge space crunch and whatever available is not managed properly.
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