Centre turns down Saudi request for direct flights to Thiruvananthapuram airport

The Union government has declined a request from Saudi Arabia to designate Thiruvananthapuram International Airport as a Point of Call (POC), a move that would have allowed Saudi airlines to operate flights between cities in the Gulf kingdom and the Kerala capital. The decision comes despite significant demand for seats on these routes, particularly during festival seasons.

In a written reply to a question in Parliament, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said the Centre had received a request from the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) of Saudi Arabia to grant POC status to Thiruvananthapuram under the existing India-Saudi Arabia Air Services Agreement (ASA). However, the government has decided not to entertain the request.

Explaining the rationale, Mohol said the Union government is currently promoting international operations from non-metro airports, including Thiruvananthapuram, by Indian carriers, either directly or through their domestic networks. Accordingly, non-metro airports are not being granted new Point of Call status under bilateral air services agreements to foreign carriers, including Saudi airlines.

At present, only Air India Express operates flights between Thiruvananthapuram and Dammam, with seven services per week. No other foreign airline operates on the Thiruvananthapuram-Saudi routes. According to airport sources, a Saudi airline had previously operated a service between Thiruvananthapuram and Riyadh, but the service was discontinued after the airport was removed from the list of Points of Call.

With the Centre rejecting the Saudi proposal, only Indian carriers will be able to operate on the route, subject to mutually agreed capacity limits, despite the heavy demand for seats during festival seasons like Onam. Granting Point of Call status is a standard mechanism that allows foreign airlines to operate services to a designated airport based on passenger demand on specified routes.

The Kannur International Airport, another airport in Kerala, has faced a similar situation. Foreign airlines have been unable to operate there after the Centre declined to grant POC status. Most recently, representations seeking to designate Kannur airport as a 'tourist destination' under the ASEAN Open Sky Policy, which would have allowed foreign carriers to operate services, were also turned down by the government.

In a related development, soon after the COVID-19 pandemic, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had approached the Centre seeking an additional 50,000 seats for Dubai, citing heavy demand on the route. However, no major decision was taken in favour of foreign airlines despite the demand.

International airline operations between India and other countries are governed by bilateral Air Services Agreements. Under these agreements, Indian designated carriers are free to operate to and from any point in India, including airports in Kerala, to foreign destinations, subject to mutually agreed capacity limits. However, foreign airlines require Point of Call status or other permissions to operate services to designated airports in India.

The decision reflects the government's stated policy of prioritising Indian carriers in the international aviation market, even as demand for connectivity from Kerala's non-metro airports continues to grow.