An Air India Express flight from Kerala’s Kannur to Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah has drawn attention after it operated with just 35 passengers. The return leg reportedly carried only 15 passengers, even as aviation fuel and operating costs remain high.
According to the report, the service runs twice a week—on Tuesdays and Saturdays. On June 9, the flight departed Kannur at 6.30 am and flew to Jeddah despite the unusually low passenger load.
Aviation experts cited in the report said the aircraft was a Boeing 737 with a capacity of up to 185 passengers. They estimated fuel costs for the roughly six-hour sector at about Rs 50 lakh, with additional expenses such as landing, airspace and crew charges pushing total operating costs beyond Rs 60 lakh.
The experts questioned why similar direct services to Jeddah have not resumed from Tamil Nadu since the COVID-19 period, forcing travellers to rely on connecting flights to reach Chennai or Tiruchirappalli. They urged the Union Civil Aviation Ministry to conduct a detailed inquiry and said the Tamil Nadu government should press the issue.
Responding to queries, Air India Express said the flight was operated in the interest of passenger welfare due to limited available services, and added that it is working to strengthen its network team to meet services expected by passengers from Tamil Nadu.
