Low-cost A-I flights to Gulf from April

A long-pending demand of the state for the benefit of non-resident Keralites, the service would be known as Air-India Express Service and the fare would be 25 to 30 per cent lower than the airline's existing services to the Gulf, Chandy said. The services would be operated from Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode airports on a daily basis, he said.

Air Arabia had also shown interest in starting services from Kerala and was awaiting the Civil Aviation Ministry's clearance.

The state government had urged the ministry to give clearance for the proposal, the chief minister added.