Picture disembarking from a boat, walking into an airport check-in facility, and catching a flight without encountering a single traffic jam. That is the idea being shaped into what could emerge as India’s first airport served by a Water Metro connection.
Modelled on Hong Kong’s airport ferry system, the Kochi Water Metro is drawing up a plan to link a terminal near the Aluva Metro station with the Cochin international airport. The route would span 7.5 km and take just 12 minutes, using compact, high-speed electric boats moving at about 20 knots.
“It is technically feasible. The challenge is flooding, so we have to identify the exact location carefully,” Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) managing director Loknath Behera told TNIE.
A hydrological study due this week will decide whether the project is environmentally viable, examining canal development needs, water flow changes and effects on nearby areas. Its findings will feed into a pre-feasibility report, followed by traffic projection studies before a detailed project report is drawn up.The service will offer integrated ticketing across Metro, Water Metro and feeder services, and is expected to bring the Aluva-airport travel time to under 30 minutes. “The Eloor regulator prevents seawater from moving upstream into this stretch of the Periyar, so we do not expect saltwater intrusion to affect the proposed Water Metro route. We also have to ensure floodwater does not enter the airport,” Sajan said.
