Air India urged to withdraw call to cancel flights to Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Pravasi Federation has urged Air India to immediately withdraw its reported decision to cancel around 50 flight services to Kerala starting October 26. In a statement, the organisations leadership expressed deep concern over the move, warning that it would severely affect connectivity for the Malayali diaspora in the Gulf countries, especially Kuwait. According to the federation, if the decision is implemented, there will be no direct Air India flights from Kuwait to Kerala, and services from other Gulf nations will also be drastically reduced. This is yet another blow to ordinary Malayalis who rely heavily on Air India for affordable travel, said Rajya Sabha MP and Pravasi Federation president P Santosh Kumar. We believe there is undue pressure from the Union government behind this move to make travelling difficult for expatriates. The organisation noted that the timing of the decision is particularly damaging, coming amid widespread protests over increased airfares.