The Tata group's Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), which owns the luxury hotel brand 'Taj', will operate Cochin International Airport's (CIAL) five-star hotel on airport grounds with an estimated investment of Rs 1 billion, according to a release. CIAL built the hotel, which is conveniently located near the airport entrance, as part of its land utilisation programme and to provide passengers with international-standard hospitality services. The Taj CIAL at Cochin Airport is scheduled to open in the middle of 2024. The airport announced that it had awarded the contract to IHCL, with the company expected to invest Rs 1 billion in standardising its interiors in accordance with the Tata brand's grade. CIAL has completed the hotel's civil, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing works, and it will be handed over to IHCL soon for interior development. According to the terms of the agreement, IHCL will receive a percentage of the gross revenue generated by its partnership with CIAL. CIAL Managing Director S Suhas commented on the collaboration, saying that it will give a boost to the airport operator's development plan, which includes integrating aviation with the tourism and hospitality sectors. ''We are excited about this collaboration. We hope that this collaboration will spur our plan to increase revenue from non-aero verticals because the Taj Group is one of the world's most renowned luxury hotel operators. With the introduction of a new fleet of aircraft by Tata-owned Air India, CIAL anticipates exponential growth in air traffic movement.' 'CIAL is hoping that this agreement will broaden the scope for a more meaningful partnership with one of the world's largest airlines,'' Suhas added. He attributed the successful bidding process for CIAL's ambitious hotel project to the guidance provided by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who is also the chairman of CIAL and its Board of Directors. The Taj Group stated that the project would become one of Kerala's most luxurious properties. They currently have nearly 20 properties operating or upcoming in Kerala, and this project will be the fifth in Kochi and the third largest. CIAL's star hotel project will be a 112-room five-star hotel spread across four acres of land near the airport entrance, with a building footprint of 2.04 lakh sq ft. The hotel is directly across the street from Cochin International Airport and has an unobstructed view of the airport on one side and the mountains on the other. CIAL owns an 18-hole golf course, a convention centre, and plans to expand its hospitality portfolio by adding more non-aero projects, including a commercial zone, after completing its ultra-luxurious business jet terminal in December 2022. Also Read Government plans to build 45 km of roads each day in FY24 India aims to build 37 new roads along the India-China border