COVID-19 testing facility to be opened in Kochi airport

The price is fixed at the rates announced by the state government - Rs 2,100 for RT-PCR test and Rs 625 for the antigen test.
Representative image of COVID-19 testing
Representative image of COVID-19 testing
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Cochin International Airport will from Thursday (November 5) roll out COVID-19 testing facility in the airport premises. In addition to passengers, the general public will also be allowed to use the testing facility.

Both RT-PCR and antigen tests will be done at the testing facility in the airport. The results of RT-PCR test will be available within eight hours and antigen test results will be provided in 15 minutes. The price is fixed at the rates announced by the state government - Rs 2,100 for RT-PCR test and Rs 625 for the antigen test.

Special counters have been arranged at the arrival side of the terminals T1 and T3 for this. The service will be available 24 hours, states an official release by the airport authority.

Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) is opening the facility with the cooperation of Kinder Hospital.

Kochi airport was one of the first airports in the country that started using thermal scanners to detect symptoms of COVID-19 in people back in March. In the following weeks, airport started other protocols too. With the help of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), special disinfection systems using ultraviolet rays were installed to sanitize baggage of passengers coming from abroad too.

Recently, the airport announced its winter schedule for domestic services starting from October 25 to March 27 next year. 460 domestic services will be operated weekly from the airport.

There will be direct flights to cities like Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Mysuru and Kolkata and stop-over operations to Jaipur and Guwahati.

The airport is one of the busiest in the state and is the only one in central Kerala. Airports in the country were closed for regular operations for two months since the lockdown on March 25. Only flights under the Vande Bharat Mission were operational.

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