(This is the third part of a special series in the wake of Air India announcing direct services between Cochin and London. To read the first part click here, you may read the second part here.)
It was long back the Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) came out with the offer of "free landing and parking for a year" to any airline company which operates direct service to Europe. Air India's direct London service, which started on Thursday, is availing this free facility.
However, other airline companies have not taken the offer. Lufthansa had started direct bookings for Frankfurt and then stopped it.
The grind for intercontinental flights
Seeking connection flights to Europe, Australia or America, people from Kerala have to take the initial flight to various Indian cities, Gulf countries, Singapore, Hong Kong and even Colombo. Some have harrowing tales to narrate as they missed the last-mile flight or waited several hours in airports midway.
If one has to catch a connection flight from Delhi, then one needs to wait at the airport till the next morning. Hotel operators and taxi drivers fleece such stranded passengers. Many have experienced even the harassment by Customs officials on their return home. Costly items often disappear from suitcase or baggage.
Those bound for the US have to wait sometimes from 8 to 10 hours in cities in the Gulf countries.
Travellers bound for Australia have to wait at the Singapore and Hong Kong airport for 8 to 10 hours for catching the connection flight. Then they face problems involved in carrying out ones morning ablutions at the airport.
In the event of delayed arrival, one might even miss the connection flight. In such a situation the passenger will have to wait for the same aircraft till next day.
Even if one reaches the airport on time, it takes time to locate the gate from where the connection flight has to be boarded. All those travelling abroad are not smart youngsters; many are elderly, people having various physical limitations. There are children as well. It is a harrowing experience especially for those travelling with elderly and children.
Moreover, with the COVID-19 pandemic still raging few flyers are interested in going to a third country to take a connection flight to reach their respective destination. Waiting in such airports for hours together increases the possibility of contracting the disease. This is also one of the major reasons behind the increasing demand for direct flights.
Direct flights were introduced to Canada after the Sikh community which has a huge presence there raised a hue and cry over the issue. Now there is a direct flight from Chandigarh to Vancouver.
If direct flights are introduced from Kochi then it would be beneficial not only for people of Kerala but for those living in Coimbatore, Theni, and Nilgiri districts of neighbouring Tamil Nadu. People from these districts in Tamil Nadu can easily reach Kochi via Palakkad.
As direct flights from Kochi would benefit both people from Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the number of passengers travelling abroad daily would be much more than what has been estimated now.
Bar on pet animals
Adding to the woes overseas travellers are not permitted to take pet animals abroad from the Cochin Airport. The pets have to be taken abroad via international airports at Bengaluru or Chennai.
The Union Civil Aviation Ministry had granted permission recently for quarantine of pet animals. The temporary permission has been extended up to July 31. Thereafter, it was not extended.
The Cochin airport authorities say that situation has come to such a pass that they have to rush to Delhi to lobby for anything and everything. Though the Cochin airport still has "in principle" permission for allowing pet animals, there is no quarantine facility or vet doctor.
Another problem that passengers face is getting the paper work done for securing permission. One has to make several trips to the particular airport from where the pet is to be taken out of the country to complete the travel formalities.
