Thousands of South Indian Kerala community in Cardiff are worried about Air India’s decision to cancel direct flights from London Gatwick to Kochi. Four thousand people have signed a petition demanding the flight from Gatwick is reinstated, after it was cancelled to carry out repairs.
The UK is home to half a million people from Kerala including an estimated 10,000 in Cardiff.
Some have come to study, but many have come to work including a substantial number as nurses in the NHS.
Many arrived here on a direct flight, from the economic capital of Kochi to London.
It is the quickest way to visit family & friends. And now this journey has become difficult for them since Air India announced suspension of their direct flight from March 28 this year.
For one Cardiff family, the flight was an important connection between generations. Robin Joseph, an engineer from Cardiff Bay says his parents will have to wait to meet their new born grandson.
“This is disappointing because we are a family of four with a new born kid and a 5-year-old girl,” he says “We had plans to travel but because of this announcement we have cancelled our plans to go home during the holidays. We wanted to baptise our new born boy in the coming July.”
Philip Alexander, a project manager from Kerala who now lives in Cardiff, says it’s a vital service for people working here. He says, “It’s an unfair situation. Families had planned their travel earlier in the year to cut down their costs. Now the costs have jumped all across the world especially in the UK. It’s let customers down.”
Hibi Eden, Indian MP for a constituency in Kerala worries cancelling the flights will affects NHS workers as well as tourists. “There is a huge number of Keralites who live in the UK and a lot of them are in the service industries. It was always a full flight. The company have said the current flight needs upgrading, repair and maintenance.”
He says he has spoken to the MD of the Kochi Airport and requested the flight be re-instated. He says he has been given assurance that will happen. “The UK has the highest number of Keralites diaspora. Nurses, families and other students studying here, and others working here in many sectors are suffering from this particular flight. Our demand is quite genuine and I think they should reconsider the cancellation of this flight,” he said.
Union of UK Malayali Associations which represents people from Kerala has started a petition to urge flight companies to re-establish direct flight services to Kerala. That petition on Change.Org and is getting huge support with 4576 signatures.
Air India has assured Cochin International Airport Limited that it will reconsider the decision over the course of next few months.