Leader of Opposition, V D Satheesan, on Sunday sought the Centre’s immediate intervention over Air India Express’s reported decision to cut services from Kerala airports starting October. In a letter to Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Satheesan stated that the move has caused “serious concern among the people of Kerala,” particularly the Gulf expatriate community.

“It is understood that several services from Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode, and Kannur to key Gulf destinations are set to be reduced or withdrawn, while additional flights are being shifted to Mangaluru, Jaipur, and Lucknow,” he said.

The Congress leader noted that while the airline cited economic reasons, the decision “is questionable as Gulf routes from Kerala are among Air India Express’s most profitable.”

Curtailment of such services, he said, would cause immense hardship to lakhs of Malayalis working in the Gulf, who rely heavily on affordable, direct connectivity.

Satheesan added that the Malayali diaspora has long been the backbone of India’s remittance economy, and reducing direct flights from Kerala would inconvenience passengers, increase costs, and force them to take longer routes through other states. He urged the Centre to intervene immediately and direct Air India Express to review the proposed cuts, ensuring that Kerala’s airports continue to receive due priority in its operations.