Dozens of scheduled flights to destinations in the Middle East (West Asia) such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Doha and Bahrain remained canceled across the four international airports in Kerala on Sunday.
With a large number of expatriates from the country residing and working in the region, especially the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain, the four airports in Kerala collectively handle around 100 flights per day on an average.
The authorities said that dozens of flights were rescheduled or canceled entirely due to emerging geopolitical tensions in the Middle East (West Asia). Flight cancellations were exacerbated by the cessation of all flights at Dubai Airport.
Authorities at Thiruvananthapuram Airport said 37 flights were canceled on Saturday and 26 of them were canceled on Sunday. At Kannur Airport, the main hub for travelers in northern Kerala, six flights to different Gulf countries were cancelled.
Most flights to the Gulf from Cochin International Airport on Sunday also remained cancelled. Flights of airlines including Air India, Qatar Airways, Air India Express and Emirates to hubs such as Dubai, Muscat, Salalah and Doha were disrupted on Sunday. Hundreds of travelers heading to the Gulf for important work-related and personal emergencies remained in limbo at airports, unsure of what to do next. With their flights being rescheduled for hours, many spent the night at nearby airports and hotels waiting for any information about their flights.
At Calicut Airport, another major hub for air travelers in northern Kerala, flights canceled on Sunday include an Air India Express flight to Jeddah, an IndiGo flight to Abu Dhabi, an Emirates flight to Dubai, a Flydubai flight to Dubai, and Air India Express flights to Dammam and Sharjah.
Airport authorities asked passengers heading to the Gulf to check the status of their flights before leaving their country.
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