Senior Congress leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor has expressed concern over reports that Air India may cancel many flights from Kerala during the upcoming winter schedule.
Tharoor said he has written to Air India’s Managing Director and CEO Campbell Wilson to highlight the issue. According to reports, several services of Air India Express could be withdrawn from Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode and Kannur airports between late October and March.
In a post on X, Tharoor said Kerala is one of the busiest aviation hubs in India, especially for international travel. He pointed out that a large number of passengers from the state fly to Gulf countries for work, education and family visits. “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.
The Thiruvananthapuram MP also criticised Air India for what he described as neglect of Kerala’s needs. He mentioned that the airline had already withdrawn business-class services on the Delhi–Thiruvananthapuram route, which is the longest single-sector domestic flight in the country. Tharoor called this move an “insult to injury” for passengers from the state.
He further warned that if Air India continues to reduce its presence in Kerala, other airlines such as IndiGo and Akasa Air would benefit. “Many of us will have no compunction about switching our allegiance to those who give us the attention we deserve,” he added.
Tharoor said he had earlier praised Air India as his favourite airline but suggested that his support could change if the company did not reconsider its decisions. “When facts change, opinions can change too,” he wrote on X.
Air India has not yet issued an official response to the concerns raised. The winter schedule is expected to begin in the last week of October.
