Introduction to Flight Services
UAE residents traveling to the southern Indian state of Kerala can now expect continued flight services to Thiruvananthapuram, following earlier uncertainty over Air India Express’s winter schedule. Air India was reportedly planning to reduce the number of low-cost flights operated by its subsidiary Air India Express between Kerala and Gulf destinations for the upcoming winter season (October 2025-March 2026).
Restoration of Routes
Indian MP Shashi Tharoor announced that Air India Express will resume key Gulf routes from Thiruvananthapuram to provide relief to passengers affected by recent flight reductions. In a post on X, Tharoor said the airline has confirmed that flights to Dubai will resume from October 28 and flights to Abu Dhabi from December 3.
Flight Schedule Details
"I am happy to learn from @AirIndiaX that their flight operations to/from Thiruvananthapuram are resuming. As I was promised in my meeting with them, they will resume flights to Dubai from October 28 and flights to Abu Dhabi from December 3," Tharoor wrote in his post. He also said that Air India will operate aircraft with business class configuration three times a day on the Thiruvananthapuram-Delhi route.
Confirmation from Airlines
Travel agencies in the United Arab Emirates have now been informed about further operations in the winter. The flights are currently operating as per the summer schedule and bookings for the Trivandrum-Dubai-Trivandrum route are open until October 27. Earlier, the services were expected to be suspended from October 28, but Air India Express has since resumed them.
Future Plans
Air India has also announced that by 2026, the number of international flights from Kerala will increase to 231 and domestic flights to 245 to meet the current deficit. Industry experts point out that such flight changes are common among private airlines. Since Air India Express was privatized in 2022, it is no longer expected to function completely like a national airline.
Conclusion
The resumption of flight services to Thiruvananthapuram is a welcome move for UAE residents traveling to Kerala. With the confirmation of flight schedules and future plans, passengers can now plan their travel with more certainty. The increase in international and domestic flights from Kerala is also expected to boost connectivity and tourism in the region.
