By News Karnataka Editorial Team
Copyright newskarnataka
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has expressed deep concern over the large-scale cancellations of Air India Express flights from Kerala airports in the upcoming winter schedule. In a letter to Air India MD and CEO Campbell Wilson, Tharoor urged the airline to “stop treating Kerala as an afterthought.”
Kerala airports face major flight reductions
According to media reports, Air India Express is planning to withdraw several flights from Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode, and Kannur between late October and March. Tharoor noted that Kerala sees some of the highest airport footfalls in India, primarily due to passengers traveling to Gulf countries.
“Any curtailment of services at this stage will inevitably cause severe hardship to migrant workers, students, tourists, and families, while also hampering trade and tourism,” he wrote.
Business-class services withdrawn
The MP pointed out that Air India had already removed business-class services on the Delhi-Thiruvananthapuram route, one of the longest single-sector flights in India, and said the winter flight cancellations add “insult to injury.”
Tharoor emphasized that if Air India continues to disregard Kerala’s interests, passengers might switch to other airlines. “IndiGo and Akasa Air are waiting in the wings, and many of us will have no compunction about switching our allegiance to those who give us the attention we deserve,” he said.
Opposition also voices concerns
Kerala Assembly Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan has also written to Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, expressing serious concern over the flight reductions. Satheesan highlighted that several services from Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode, and Kannur to key Gulf destinations are being reduced or withdrawn, while flights are being shifted to Mangaluru, Jaipur, and Lucknow.
“While the airline cites economic reasons, the decision is questionable as Gulf routes from Kerala are among Air India Express’s most profitable. Curtailment of such services will cause immense hardship to lakhs of Malayalis working in the Gulf, who rely heavily on affordable and direct connectivity,” Satheesan stated.
Impact on passengers
The reduction in flights is expected to disrupt travel plans for students, professionals, and migrant workers traveling to Gulf countries. Industry experts note that Kerala-Gulf routes are highly profitable, and limiting services could lead passengers to seek alternative carriers, impacting Air India Express’s market share.
With both Tharoor and Satheesan pressing the airline and government, Air India Express may reconsider its winter flight schedule to address concerns of passengers and ensure uninterrupted connectivity.
