Kerala LoP urges Centre to intervene in Air India Express service cuts

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 28 (PTI) Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan on Sunday sought the Centre’s immediate intervention over Air India Express’s reported decision to curtail services from the state’s airports from October.

In a letter to Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Satheesan said the move has caused "serious concern among the people of Kerala", especially the expatriate community in the Gulf.

"It is understood that several services from Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode, and Kannur to key Gulf destinations are set to be reduced or withdrawn, while additional flights are being shifted to Mangaluru, Jaipur, and Lucknow," he said.

The Congress leader pointed out that while the airline has cited 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," he said.

Satheesan said the Malayali diaspora has long been the backbone of India’s remittance economy, and reducing direct flight connectivity from Kerala would inconvenience passengers, increase costs, and force them to take longer routes through other states.

He urged the Centre to intervene immediately and direct the airline to review the proposed cuts, ensuring Kerala’s airports continue to receive due priority in Air India Express operations. PTI LGK SSK