DAMMAM, 23 May — India’s national carrier Air-India has launched yet another direct flight from a Saudi airport to the south Indian state of Kerala. An A-I Airbus left King Fahd International Airport here for Trivandrum early yesterday carrying 187 passengers.
Air-India began direct operations from Jeddah to Calicut, another Kerala city, on Monday. Last week, it introduced a direct flight from Jeddah to Hyderabad.
Air-India check-in counters at KIFA were a scene of excitement yesterday. Airline sources confirmed that the flight, reintroduced in response to persistent passenger demand, was full.
Each passenger on the inaugural flight was given a gift at the time of check-in. Muhammad Hanifa Salim won a return ticket to Trivandrum in a lucky draw.
The airline’s regional director Captain P.P. Singh formally inaugurated the Trivandrum flight at Dammam Sheraton Towers in the presence of travel industry executives and prominent businessmen on Monday night.
Ali A. Kanoo, deputy managing director of Kanoo Group of companies, and Abdullah Abo Khamseen, general manager of Kanoo Travel, joined Singh and Sunil Deshmukh, A-I manager in the Eastern Province, to cut the cake to mark the occasion. Kanoo is the general sales agent of Air-India.
Singh assured travelers to India that the airline would not cut its current routes while adding new destinations. He thanked Kanoo and other travel agents for their continuous support.
Abo Khamseen welcomed Singh, who recently took over as regional director of the airline.
Many present at the function urged the airline to start operations from Dammam to destinations like Hyderabad and Lucknow.
