Calicut airport set to miss wide-body Haj flights again

In 2026, only 944 of Keralam’s 13,194 Haj pilgrims flew from the airport. Kochi handled 7,943 pilgrims and Kannur 4,279. | Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO The Calicut International Airport is likely to miss wide-body aircraft for Haj flights for the coming season too. Pilgrims from Malappuram and Kozhikode may again have to depend on Kochi and Kannur.The 2027 Haj flight tender does not include wide-body aircraft for the Calicut airport. The reason is the delay in completing work to extend the runway-end safety area (RESA).The work is expected to be completed before April next. But the Haj flight tender process has to be completed well in advance. So, only smaller aircraft have been included for the airport.Haj flight operations under the Central Haj Committee will begin on April 8. Airlines have been invited to bid for transporting 1.23 lakh pilgrims from India to Saudi Arabia by May 9. Services will operate from 19 embarkation points, including Calicut, Kochi, and Kannur.The tenders are expected to be opened next week. The selected airlines will be announced after the process.The decision could further reduce the number of pilgrims using the Calicut airport. In 2026, only 944 of Keralam’s 13,194 Haj pilgrims flew from the airport. Kochi handled 7,943 pilgrims and Kannur 4,279.Higher fares from Calicut have been a key reason for the shift. In 2025, the fare from the airport was around ₹40,000 higher than those from Kochi and Kannur. The gap fell to around ₹20,000 in 2026. But many pilgrims still preferred Kochi and Kannur to Calicut.Smaller aircraft are expected to operate from Calicut again in 2027. Fares could, therefore, be higher than those from Kochi and Kannur. Pilgrims are likely to choose the cheaper option.Regular Haj return flights are scheduled from May 21 to June 20, 2027. Pilgrims usually stay in Saudi Arabia for 35 to 45 days.The schedule for the 20-day ‘short Haj’ package will be announced later. Around 13,000 pilgrims are expected to use the package. Ten airports have been designated for these services. Kochi is the only airport in Keralam on the short Haj list. Published - September 05, 2026 09:22 pm IST