Mangaluru: The night flight from Mangaluru to Kuwait has been rescheduled to a daytime flight. Passengers from Coastal Karnataka and the Malnad region have been facing hardships as a result for the past 18 months. The cost of travel has also increased. Even after the second wave of Covid ended, the flight has not resumed operations. As a result, people from the Coast and Malnad are increasingly choosing to fly through Kannur.
Earlier, the flight to Kuwait would leave at 8.45 pm and arrive at 11.15 pm. From Kuwait, the flight departed at 12.15 am and reached the City at 7.30 am. The travellers who used to leave or arrive on Thursdays and Fridays benefited greatly from this schedule.
Passengers who flew out of Kuwait late on Thursdays used to arrive here early Friday morning. Kuwait’s weekly off days are Friday and Saturday. The next two days may be put to good use. People arriving for a week’s holiday would be able to make the most of this opportunity.
When the flights restarted after the initial lockdown, the Air India flight schedule to Kuwait was suddenly changed. So far, no convincing explanation has been offered for this shift. The schedule was switched from night to day this time.
This schedule on Wednesdays and Saturdays is inconvenient for Coastal Karnataka and Malnad residents working in Kuwait. People are now forced to return during the week. To catch the 7.00 am flight, they must arrive three hours ahead of time at the airport. As a result, the travellers have demanded that the previous schedule be followed. Various organisations have submitted petitions through MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, including Kuwait Tulukoota, Kuwait Kerala, Muslim Association Karnataka, GSB Sabha, and Tulukoota, yet the timetable remains unchanged so far.
