Flight disruptions continue at Kerala's Kozhikode airport despite easing tensions in the Middle East

Even as the Middle East conflict shows signs of de-escalation, Kozhikode airport continues to grapple with widespread flight cancellations and severely limited services. Officials say that even after the conflict ends, it could take several weeks for flight operations to return to normal. Qatar Airways has already announced that its services will remain suspended until June 15. At present, flights to destinations such as Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait remain disrupted due to the conflict situation.

As the Kuwait airport remains shut, Jazeera Airways put in place an alternative arrangement, ferrying passengers by road to Dammam for onward flights to Kozhikode. However, this service too has been suspended for the time being. International flight restrictions linked to the conflict have been in place since February 28, and on most days, more than half of the scheduled services at Kozhikode airport are being cancelled.

Currently, only around 20 to 30 international flights operate daily between Karipur and Gulf destinations, while an average of 30 to 40 services are being cancelled. Flights are now limited to destinations such as Dubai, Jeddah, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Dammam, Sharjah, Bahrain, Doha, Al Ain, Muscat, and Ras Al Khaimah. With limited seat availability, travel woes among expatriates continue unabated, compounded by a sharp surge in airfares.