LONDON
Thousands of passengers in London and Goa have been severely affected after Air India decided to suspend flights between Manohar International Airport in Mopa and London (Gatwick) from June 21 to July 15.
Air India has been operating three flights (AI145/146) a week between Goa (Mopa)-London (Gatwick) since July 21, 2023, the first carrier to fly internationally from the Manohar International Airport.
News that Air India had decided to suspend the Goa (Mopa)-London (Gatwick) at such short notice has come as a shock to the Goans, as most of them had booked their tickets well in advance.
To make matters worse, Goans who had planned a trip between London and Goa have now been forced to scramble to find tickets on alternative flights.
Sources in London have said most passengers had planned the London-Goa-London trip well in advance and had availed of cheaper tickets. With Air India now cancelling its Goa-London flight till July 15, passengers find themselves struggling not only to find alternative flights, but these tickets are now much higher due to the dynamic pricing, on account of which last minute bookings are more expensive.
Sources said Goan passengers have preferred Air India flights between Goa (Mopa)-London (Gatwick) for a number of reasons.
Air India flight is the only airline which provides direct flight connectivity between Goa and London, reducing the need to change flights at transit halts as compared to other flights like Qatar Airways (Doha), Oman Air (Muscat), Gulf Air (Bahrain), Air Arabia (Abu Dhabi), Air India Express (Dubai), and other flights from Mumbai, thereby saving time and costs.
Besides, Goan passengers also prefer Air India on account of extra baggage allowances which enables them to carry more goodies from Goa.
Air India on Thursday had said it would cut 38 international flights per week and suspend services on three overseas routes between June 21 and July 15. The Tata Group-owned airline, grappling with disruptions following the fatal plane crash on June 12 in Ahmedabad, said the objective of reducing flights on 18 international routes is to restore schedule stability and minimise last-minute inconvenience to passengers.
The detailed announcement comes a day after the carrier said it would temporarily reduce flights operated with wide-body planes by 15 per cent.
Air India has apologised to the passengers affected by these curtailments, and said it “is proactively contacting affected passengers to offer re-accommodation on alternative flights, complimentary rescheduling or full refunds as per their preference.”
“The revised schedule is being progressively made available on our website, http://airindia.com, mobile app and through our contact centre. We remain committed to restoring our full schedule as soon as practicable, while at all times prioritising the safety of our passengers, crew and aircraft,” stated Air India.
Air India CEO and Managing Director Campbell Wilson added: “We understand that this temporary reduction to our schedule may affect your travel plans, and we’re deeply sorry for any inconvenience.”
Goans hit by travel chaos as AI suspends Mopa-Gatwick flights
