We're pleased to announce that Sarla Aviation has signed a partnership agreement with Cochin International Airport (CIAL) Limited to explore the next era of connectivity in Kerala.

Kerala has long been one of India's most sought-after destinations — known globally for its backwaters, wellness traditions, hill stations, and cultural heritage. Yet for travellers arriving at Kochi Airport, the onward journey to many of these destinations still means hours on the road. The last mile remains the slowest part of the experience.

Through this phased collaboration, Sarla Aviation and CIAL will evaluate the integration of vertiport infrastructure within or adjacent to Kochi Airport — enabling seamless last-mile aerial connectivity for passengers arriving from domestic and international flights.

As a key hub airport for the state, Kochi Airport is uniquely positioned to anchor a more connected mobility network across Kerala. Rather than building isolated air taxi routes, the vision is to integrate advanced air mobility directly into existing airport infrastructure, regulatory systems, and commercial frameworks — structured, scalable, and designed for real-world operations from day one.

Through this partnership, Sarla Aviation and CIAL will work together to:

- Identify suitable land and elevated vertiport locations within or adjacent to the airport campus

- Develop route planning and operational feasibility assessments for priority corridors

- Design a commercial vertiport facility that enhances passenger experience while unlocking new revenue streams for the airport ecosystem

- Evaluate phased deployment aligned with regulatory and infrastructure readiness

Leisure travel will be a significant early driver of this transformation. International travellers arriving in Kochi could save hours of road travel with faster onward connections to destinations across Kerala — luxury hotels, wellness retreats, backwater stays, and other high-demand tourism corridors that are currently time-intensive to access by road. The result: more time at the destination, less time getting there.

Potential future corridors could connect Kochi Airport with Kochi city, Munnar, Alleppey, Kovalam, Sabarimala, Thrissur, and other strategic destinations across the state — serving leisure, medical, and pilgrimage travel.

Kerala has every ingredient to be among India's early movers in making advanced air mobility practical, not experimental. With CIAL as a partner, the foundation starts where it should — at the airport.