Tharoor Flags AI Express Kerala Flight Cuts Concern

New Delhi, Sep 29 (PTI) Lok Sabha member and senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Monday expressed deep concerns over Air India Express' planned curtailment of flights connecting various cities in Kerala, saying that Air India "must stop treating Kerala as an afterthought".

Air India Express is the low cost arm of Tatas-owned Air India Group.

"I have written to @airindia MD Campbell Wilson to express my deep concern over reports of large-scale cancellations of @airindiaexpress 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 According to widely-circulated media accounts, a significant number of flights are being withdrawn from Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode and Kannur between late October and March," Tharoor said in a post on X.

Tharoor, who represents Thiruvananthapuram constituency, said Kerala is one of the busiest aviation hubs in the country, with exceptionally high international passenger traffic, particularly to the Gulf region.

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 said, asserting that Air India must stop treating Kerala as an afterthought.

"... withdrawing business-class services on the longest single-sector flight in India (Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram) has already added insult to injury," he added.

There was no immediate comment from Air India Group.

The winter schedule for scheduled flights, which is yet to be officially announced by aviation regulator DGCA, starts from late October.

According to Tharoor, if Air India continues its disregard for Kerala's interests, 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".

"I had publicly hailed @airindia as my favourite airline. But when facts change, opinions can change too. I hope all concerned will pay due attention. @TataCompanies," he said in the post.