Calicut airport will again miss Haj widebody flights

In 2026, only 944 of the 13,194 Haj pilgrims in Kerala departed from the airport. Kochi handled 7,943 pilgrims and Kannur 4,279. | Photo credit: FILE PHOTO

Calicut International Airport is likely to lack wide-body aircraft for Haj flights in the coming season as well. Pilgrims from Malappuram and Kozhikode may have to rely on Kochi and Kannur again.

The 2027 Haj flight tender does not include wide-body aircraft for the Calicut airport. This is due to the delay in the completion of work on the expansion of the Runway End Safety Area (RESA).

The work is expected to be completed by April next year. However, the Haj flight selection process must be completed well in advance. So only smaller aircraft were included for the airport.

Haj flight operations under the Central Haj Committee will start on April 8. Airlines have been invited to bid to transport 1.23 million pilgrims from India to Saudi Arabia by May 9. The services will operate from 19 boarding points including Calicut, Kochi and Kannur.

Bids are expected to open next week. Selected airlines will be notified after the process.

The decision could further reduce the number of pilgrims using the Calicut airport. In 2026, only 944 of the 13,194 Haj pilgrims in Kerala departed from the airport. Kochi handled 7,943 pilgrims and Kannur 4,279.

Higher prices from Calicut were the key reason for the shift. In 2025, fares from the airport were around ₹40,000 more than those from Kochi and Kannur. The difference came down 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. Hence, the fares could be higher than those of 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 typically stay in Saudi Arabia for 35 to 45 days.

The schedule of the 20-day “short Haj” package will be announced later. Around 13,000 pilgrims are expected to avail the package. Ten airports are designated for these services. Kochi is the only airport in Kerala on the Haj short list.

Published – 05 Sep 2026 21:22 IST