Congress leader K.C. Venugopal has stepped up the pressure on the government over Air India’s plans to slash flights from Kerala airports. On Thursday, the AICC General Secretary (Organisation) and Alappuzha MP sent a letter to Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu, calling for quick action to block these cuts to both domestic and international routes.
Air India and its low-cost arm, Air India Express, run a ton of flights from Kerala’s four main airports—Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode, and Kannur—especially to big Middle East hubs. These routes are a lifeline for the Kerala diaspora, with millions of people relying on them to visit family back home.
Venugopal warned that trimming these services would hit hard, particularly for the state’s expatriate workers in the Gulf countries. Many of these folks earn modest wages and count on cheap, direct flights to make the trip affordable. “If Air India Express pulls back, other airlines might jack up prices, putting a real financial squeeze on thousands of Malayalis abroad,” he wrote.
The cuts come at a bad time, potentially messing with travel during festivals and busy seasons. Students and professionals from Kerala could face headaches too, with disrupted trips for education or job needs. Reports say the airline aims to pause flights to key spots like Bahrain and Abu Dhabi starting this month, which would shake up Gulf travel from Kerala even more.
This isn’t the first time Venugopal has raised the alarm. He’s pointed out past complaints about sky-high airfares and travel woes that the ministry hasn’t fully addressed. The 2.5 million-strong Kerala diaspora—about 85% of whom work in the Middle East—depends on these connections for everything from family visits to work commutes.
Venugopal stressed the bigger picture: Losing these flights could chip away at vital links for expatriates, many juggling jobs and loved ones far away. He urged the Centre to step in right away, restore the routes, and keep air travel affordable and easy for all Malayalis living overseas.
The letter shines a light on the rising worries among Kerala’s Gulf workers about fewer flight options and steeper costs, pushing for urgent steps to safeguard their travel rights.
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