PANAJI: Air India Express has discontinued its direct flights from Manohar International Airport (Mopa) in North Goa to Abu Dhabi and Kuwait City, barely three months after their launch.
The Goa-Kuwait route, launched on May 3, and the Goa-Abu Dhabi service, introduced on May 5, have both been discontinued. However, the airline has yet to release an official statement confirming the suspension of these services.
The issue comes close on the heels of the suspension of the direct Goa, London Gatwick flight, which has remained non-operational since June. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant informed the House that he had already written to the Union Civil Aviation Minister, requesting the resumption of the London route.
The matter was also raised in the Goa Legislative Assembly last week by Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginald Lourenço, who highlighted that the abrupt suspension has triggered fear and anxiety among Goans working in Kuwait. He said the service offered an affordable and essential connection for the large Goan expatriate population in the Gulf and urged the government to intervene with the Centre to restore at least one weekly flight.
With international air connectivity taking a hit, several MLAs have raised concern over the lack of sustained and reliable flight services from Goa’s new airport, urging the government to ensure key links, especially to the Gulf and Europe, are retained for the benefit of the diaspora and the tourism economy.
