Kuwait: NRIs' Concern over Low Priority to Flights on Mangalore-Kuwait Sector

Media release
Kuwait, April 3: A delegation of Coastal Karnataka NRIs in Kuwait including the representatives from Mangalore have Kuwait's directorate general of civil aviation Fawaz Al-Farrah and congratulated him on his assuming the new assignment.
Delegation coordinator Pascal Pinto submitted a memorandum to him seeking his assistance in regard to the flights on the Kuwait / Mangalore sector. During the meeting Al-Farrah assured his support and positive action if the civil aviation ministry of India communicated with them to seek permission to operate national or private carriers on Kuwait / Mangalore route.
Pinto, who was joined by Hasan Yusuf, John Tauro and Shyamsunder Rao from DGCA Kuwait, thanked Fawaz Al Farrah for his encouraging stand in regard to Kuwait / Mangalore sector flights.
A member from the delegation said that it has been understood from the reliable sources that as a policy matter the government of India did not allow private airlines to operate on routes to Gulf and Saudi Arabia. Pinto highlighted the fact that Air India Express being a government airline was already operating between Mangalore and other major stations in the Gulf like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Doha and Bahrain and expressed happiness that Air India would also operate to Sharjah very soon.
However, the general feeling among the NRI’s of coastal Karnataka and northern Kerala in Kuwait is that their requirements have been given less priority as compared to UAE and other Gulf countries even though there is sizeable passenger traffic from Kuwait. The Mangalorean community keeps wondering, if Air India is capable to operate their flights from other Gulf sectors to Mangalore, why not on Kuwait / Mangalore sector?
Coastal Karnataka NRIs' delegation also said that from May 2005, they have been continuously following up the matter with Aviation Ministry of India, AAI and Air India for flights to Kuwait/Mangalore sector. The request memorandum was presented to the chairman of Air India on October 2, 2006, and the coastal NRIs and North Kerala NRIs in Kuwait are eagerly awaiting a favourable response from the authorities.
A spokesman in Kuwait said that most of the Coastal NRIs in Kuwait are of the opinion that now it is the duty of the civil aviation ministry of India to help the large number of NRI populace of the southern part of Karnataka including Mangalore and surrounding districts and Northern parts of Kerala living in Kuwait. Passengers hailing from coastal Karnataka and surrounding districts including North Kerala, whether families and bachelors, fly to Mangalore from Kuwait through Mumbai airport and other points in India. Passengers including women, children, the elderly and sick have to wait for several hours in connecting airports to get a domestic flight to Mangalore.
The memorandum also points out that the combined airfare of the international and domestic flights creates an additional burden to the NRIs. The basic need of a large number of NRI populace in Kuwait is to have flights on Mangalore / Kuwait sector, either by national carrier of India or national carriers of other countries as feasible or private airlines, if possible.
Coastal Karnataka NRIs from Kuwait are eagerly waiting for flights to Kuwait / Mangalore sector. It is high time that the civil aviation ministry of India and other concerned authorities of the government of India should help a large number of NRIs from Mangalore and surrounding districts who are working in Kuwait.
The supportive assurances given by the president of DGCA Kuwait with regard to Kuwait / Mangalore sector will favour the large number of Coastal NRIs in Kuwait in case the civil aviation ministry of India too join hands in supportive measures in this matter.