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Kochi, Gatwick, Dubai, Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru as Air India Suspends Direct Flights, Making Kerala-UK Journey Extra Costly and Time-Consuming
Tuesday, February 4, 2025
The approaching discontinuation of Air India’s direct flight service between Kochi and London is anticipated to trigger inconvenience to the Malayali neighborhood in the UK. The airline’s resolution to halt the route from March 31 has sparked issues over elevated journey prices and longer journey durations.
At present, Air India operates three weekly flights between Kochi and Gatwick Airport, providing a direct connection between Kerala and the UK . With the suspension of this service, vacationers will now need to depend on various routes, together with layovers in main transit hubs equivalent to Dubai, Delhi, Mumbai, or Bengaluru.
The transfer is especially troubling for individuals who go to Kerala for short-term stays, together with holidays, household gatherings, and festivals. The Malayali diaspora within the UK has expressed disappointment over the choice, emphasizing that the direct flight was an important hyperlink for seamless journey. In response, the Union of United Kingdom Malayali Associations (UUKMA) has launched a web-based petition urging the Indian authorities to intervene and reinstate the service.
Adjustments in Air India’s London Operations
Whereas Air India is about to discontinue the Kochi-London route, changes are being made to different UK-bound flights. The airline is decreasing its Goa-London flights from 4 to a few per week whereas rising the frequency of the Amritsar-London service to 4 occasions per week. At present, Air India additionally operates flights to London from Ahmedabad and Amritsar, aside from Goa and Kochi.
A Quick-Lived Reduction
The Kochi-London direct route was initially launched as a weekly service below the Vande Bharat Mission in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the excessive demand from the Malayali neighborhood, the airline later regularized the service and elevated its frequency to a few occasions per week. Nevertheless, the current resolution to discontinue the flight has left vacationers dissatisfied, because it eliminates the one direct hyperlink between Kerala and the UK.
Because the March 31 deadline approaches, passengers are actually left exploring various choices, bracing for longer layovers and better journey bills.
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