UAE residents planning to travel to Kerala can look forward to uninterrupted flight services to Thiruvananthapuram, as Air India Express confirmed the reinstatement of key Gulf routes following earlier uncertainty over its winter schedule.
Reports earlier this month had suggested that Air India Express — the low-cost subsidiary of Air India — would scale back services between Kerala and several Gulf destinations during the winter travel season (October 2025–March 2026). The move had caused concern among expatriates and travel agents who rely heavily on these routes.
However, Indian Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor announced that the airline will continue operations, restoring flights between Thiruvananthapuram and key UAE destinations. “Delighted to learn from @AirIndiaX that their flight operations are picking up from/to Thiruvananthapuram,” Tharoor posted on X (formerly Twitter). “As promised to me in my meeting with them, they will be reinstating Dubai flights from 28th October and Abu Dhabi services from 3rd December.”
Tharoor also said Air India will introduce aircraft with business-class seating on the Thiruvananthapuram–Delhi route, operating three times a day. “@AirIndia will also operate aircraft with business class configuration on the TRV–DEL route three times daily,” he wrote, adding, “Happy to receive this information before Deepawali! Happy Deepawali to all air travellers in the state capital!”
Travel agencies in the UAE have confirmed that Air India Express has informed them of the revised plans. “Flights are currently operating under the summer schedule, and bookings on the Trivandrum–Dubai–Trivandrum route are open until October 27,” said Sudheesh TP, general manager of Deira Travel and Tourist Agency.
“Earlier, services were expected to be discontinued from October 28, but Air India Express has since reinstated them. Their sales team has confirmed that we can now accept bookings for the winter season as well,” he added.
According to Sudheesh, while Abu Dhabi services will temporarily pause between October 28 and December 2, they will resume from December 3 onwards.
Air India has also revealed plans to expand its overall network from Kerala by 2026, with international flights increasing to 231 and domestic services to 245. The expansion aims to meet growing demand and offset current route reductions.
Industry analysts note that flight adjustments among private carriers are common, particularly following Air India’s privatisation in 2022. The airline, now part of the Tata Group, is increasingly restructuring routes to align with commercial priorities rather than the traditional obligations of a national carrier.
