Air India Express Plans Kerala Flight Curtailment, Tharoor Raises Alarm

Lok Sabha MP and senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Monday expressed deep concern over Air India Express's plan to reduce the number of flights connecting several cities in Kerala. He said Air India should stop treating Kerala as an afterthought. Air India Express is the low-cost arm of Tata Group-owned Air India.

Shashi Tharoor posted on the social media platform X, writing, "I have written to Air India MD Campbell Wilson to express my deep concern over reports of large-scale cancellations of Air India Express services from Kerala's airports in the forthcoming winter schedule. According to widely-circulated media accounts, a significant number of flights are being withdrawn from Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode, and Kannur between late October and March."

The Congress leader said that Kerala is one of the busiest aviation hubs in the country and handles a significant amount of international passenger traffic, especially to the Gulf countries. Tharoor said, "The reduction in services at this time will cause significant hardship to migrant workers, students, tourists, and families. Furthermore, this move will also harm the state's trade and tourism." He also said that the removal of business class service on the country's longest domestic flight, from Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram, has already caused inconvenience to the public. Tharoor added, "If further flights are reduced, this situation will worsen."

Meanwhile, the Lok Sabha MP hinted that if Air India continues to ignore the needs of Kerala, passengers will turn to other airlines. He said, "If Air India continues like this, companies like IndiGo and Akasa Air are ready. Many people will unhesitatingly choose airlines that give us the attention we need." Tharoor also reminded that he was previously a big supporter of Air India. However, there has been no official response from the Air India Group on this issue. It is worth noting that the aviation regulator DGCA has not yet officially released the winter schedule. It is effective from the end of October to March.