'Stop treating Kerala as...': Shashi Tharoor writes to Air India CEO over flight cuts
If Air India continues its disregard for Kerala's interests, IndiGo and Akasa Air are waiting in the wings, warns Tharoor
- Sep 29, 2025,
- Updated Sep 29, 2025 8:04 PM IST
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has written to Air India CEO Campbell Wilson expressing "deep concern" over reported 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"According to widely-circulated media accounts, a significant number of flights are being withdrawn from Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode and Kannur between late October and March," Tharoor wrote on X.
He underlined Kerala's heavy reliance on international air traffic, particularly to the Gulf region. "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 wrote.
Tharoor also criticised the airline's approach to the state. "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 said.
Warning of consequences if the airline persisted with the cuts, Tharoor added, "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 Airi Idia as my favourite airline. But when facts change, opinions can change too. I hope all concerned will pay due attention."
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan has also raised objections to the reported move. In a letter to Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Satheesan said the decision has caused "serious concern among the people of Kerala", particularly 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services from Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode, and Kannur to key Gulf destinations are set to be reduced or withdrawn, while additional flights are being shifted to Mangaluru, Jaipur, and Lucknow," Satheesan wrote.
He questioned the airline's reasoning. "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 added that reducing services would inconvenience passengers, increase costs, and force detours through other states. He urged the Centre to intervene and direct the airline to review the proposed cuts.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has written to Air India CEO Campbell Wilson expressing "deep concern" over reported 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," Tharoor wrote on X.
He underlined Kerala's heavy reliance on international air traffic, particularly to the Gulf region. "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 wrote.
Tharoor also criticised the airline's approach to the state. "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 said.
Warning of consequences if the airline persisted with the cuts, Tharoor added, "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 Airi Idia as my favourite airline. But when facts change, opinions can change too. I hope all concerned will pay due attention."
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly V D Satheesan has also raised objections to the reported move. In a letter to Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Satheesan said the decision has caused "serious concern among the people of Kerala", particularly 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," Satheesan wrote.
He questioned the airline's reasoning. "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 added that reducing services would inconvenience passengers, increase costs, and force detours through other states. He urged the Centre to intervene and direct the airline to review the proposed cuts.