Kochi: Air connectivity between Kerala and the Gulf received a major boost as flight services on the Kochi–Muscat route resumed on Tuesday. Oman Air restarted operations with its morning departure at 8:10 am from Kochi, while Air India Express also resumed services on the sector. An inbound flight from Muscat landed in Kochi at 7:40 am, signalling a gradual return to normalcy. Air India’s Tiruchirappalli–Muscat service is scheduled to depart at 1:45 pm, with a total of six flights connecting various Indian cities to Muscat today. In a significant development, the first evacuation flight from Abu Dhabi reached Kochi at 10 pm on Monday, operated by Etihad Airways, bringing relief to stranded passengers.
However, disruptions continue across several Gulf routes. As many as 40 services via Karipur have been cancelled, while multiple departures from Kannur airport, including flights to Abu Dhabi and Dubai, were called off. SalamAir and Flynas have resumed limited operations, though certain flights to Riyadh are returning without landing due to prevailing airspace conditions. Adding to relief efforts, IndiGo will operate 10 special flights from Jeddah to Indian cities. Major UAE airports have partially reopened, prioritising stranded travellers, but full restoration of regular schedules is expected to take more time. Flights to other Gulf destinations, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, remain suspended until 11:59 pm IST today, the Civil Aviation Ministry said.
