Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has strongly criticised Air India’s reported decision to reduce flights to and from Kerala in the upcoming winter schedule. He warned that the move would disrupt trade, tourism, and cause severe inconvenience to passengers, especially those travelling to the Gulf region.
In a post on X addressed to the Tata Group, Tharoor reminded that Kerala is one of India’s busiest aviation hubs, handling exceptionally high international passenger traffic.
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…— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) September 29, 2025
Shashi Tharoor Writes to Air India CEO Campbell Wilson
He also shared that he has written to the CEO of Air India, Campbell Wilson, to express concern. “I have written to Campbell Wilson to express my deep concern over reports of large-scale cancellations of Air India Express services from Kerala’s airports in the forthcoming winter schedule,” Tharoor said.
According to him, flights are being withdrawn from Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode and Kannur between late October and March. The winter schedule will be announced by the civil aviation regulator DGCA later this month.
Air India Express, the low-cost arm of the Tata-owned Air India Group, operates a large number of flights from Kerala and is considered crucial for migrant workers, students and tourists. Tharoor warned that “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 further added that passengers are already upset with the withdrawal of business-class services on the Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram route, which is India’s longest single-sector flight. “Withdrawing business-class services on the longest single-sector flight in India (Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram) has already added insult to injury,” he added.
So far, Air India has not issued any response regarding the reported cancellations, and the final winter schedule is still awaited.
