INS Garuda is the Indian Navy's oldest naval air station, located on Willingdon Island in Kochi, Kerala, India. It serves as a key operational base for maritime reconnaissance, anti-submarine warfare, and coastal patrol missions along India's southwestern coastline. The station is strictly a military facility and does not handle commercial passenger traffic. It operates under the Indian Navy's Southern Naval Command and supports a range of rotary and fixed-wing naval aircraft. The base has historically played a significant role in India's maritime security operations in the Arabian Sea region.