(MENAFN- IANS) Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 6 (IANS) The Air India Express officials on Monday have assured Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan that the airline will restore flight services from the state that were reduced in the ongoing winter schedule, clarifying that the cuts were only temporary.

At a high-level meeting held in the Chief Minister's chamber in the Kerala Assembly, the airline's top officials briefed the Chief Minister that many of the curtailed services will be reinstated soon.

The assurance follows the state government's strong objection to the drastic reduction in flights from Kerala airports between October 2025 and March 2026.

Raising the issue during the meeting, Vijayan said that Kannur International Airport alone lost 42 weekly flights, with additional reductions from Kozhikode and Kochi.

He said that diverting flights to other privately-owned airports amounted to discrimination against Kerala's public infrastructure.

"The decision to cut services during the peak travel season cannot be justified. Kerala, which has more than 2.5 million expatriates in the Gulf, is heavily dependent on air connectivity. Any reduction directly affects thousands of families," the Chief Minister added.

He demanded that cancelled flights from Kannur, Kozhikode, and Kochi be restored immediately, and urged Air India Express, as a national carrier with historical ties to the state, to ensure that Kerala is not sidelined.

Vijayan also proposed that the airline create a consultation mechanism with the state government to avoid unilateral decisions that affect large numbers of passengers.

Responding to the concerns, Air India Express officials said that the schedule adjustment was due to higher winter demand in northern states and emphasised that the changes were temporary.

They announced that by 2026, the number of international flights from Kerala will rise to 231 and domestic flights to 245, offsetting the present shortfall.

The airline also plans to launch new routes to Fujairah, Medina, Male, Singapore, London, and Bangkok, and is exploring services to Australia and Japan via Bengaluru or Singapore.

Additional Gulf services will be introduced during Onam, Christmas, and New Year seasons, and a business-class flight between Thiruvananthapuram and Delhi is under consideration.

Air India Express Chairman Nipun Aggarwal, Managing Director Aloke Singh, Vice-President Abhishek Garg, Associate Vice-President P.G. Prageesh, and Additional Chief Secretary K.R. Jyothilal attended the meeting.

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