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Tharoor stressed that any flight curtailment between October-March would cause severe hardship to migrant workers, students, tourists.
‘IndiGo And Akasa Are Waiting’: Tharoor Warns Air India Over Kerala Winter Flight Cancellation Reports
Congress leader and Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor has criticised Air India’s reported plans to reduce services to and from Kerala during the upcoming winter schedule. Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Tharoor warned that such cuts would damage the state’s trade and tourism, inconvenience migrant workers and families, and ultimately drive passengers towards rival airlines.
“I have written to Air India MD 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 posted. “Kerala is one of the busiest aviation hubs in the country, with exceptionally high international passenger traffic, particularly to the Gulf region.”
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What are Tharoor’s concerns?
Kerala’s airports – Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode and Kannur – are particularly dependent on flights to the Gulf, which form the backbone of the state’s international traffic. Tharoor stressed that any curtailment between October and March would “inevitably cause severe hardship” to migrant workers, students, tourists and families.
He argued that the timing of the cancellations was especially damaging, given the surge in demand during the winter travel season. Beyond passenger inconvenience, Tharoor warned of a broader economic fallout, with Kerala’s already fragile trade and tourism sectors likely to be hit hard.
Business-class withdrawal
The MP was also critical of Air India’s recent withdrawal of business-class services on the Delhi-Thiruvananthapuram route, the longest single-sector flight in the country. Calling it an “insult to injury,” Tharoor suggested that the airline was systematically treating Kerala as an afterthought despite its strong aviation profile.
Air India Express, the low-cost subsidiary of the Tata-owned Air India Group, operates a significant share of flights from the state’s airports. Tharoor’s comments were tagged to Tata Companies, highlighting his appeal directly to the airline’s owners.
‘IndiGo, Akasa waiting’
In his post, Tharoor issued a clear warning that passengers, himself included, could shift loyalty if Air India continued to neglect Kerala’s interests. “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,” he wrote.
He reminded followers that he had long praised Air India as his “favourite airline” but cautioned that “when facts change, opinions can change too.” The post, pointed and widely shared, added pressure on the Tata-owned carrier to reconsider its scheduling decisions.
Meanwhile, Air India has not yet issued a detailed response to Tharoor’s concerns. The airline is currently in the midst of restructuring its operations, with Air India Express and AIX Connect (formerly AirAsia India) being integrated into a single low-cost entity.
Delhi, India, India
September 30, 2025, 08:45 IST
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