CIAL to restart talks with British Airways and European airlines for direct Gatwick-Kochi flights

By A Staff Reporter

LONDON Feb 4: Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) is set to initiate talks with British Airways and various European airlines to establish direct flights between London Gatwick and Kochi. In an effort to attract potential airline partners, CIAL plans to offer incentives, such as waiving parking fee charges, making it more cost-effective for airlines to operate on this route, sources informed this website.

This move comes in response to Air India’s recent announcement of suspending their direct flights between Kochi and London Gatwick starting March 30th, 2025. This decision has left passengers, particularly those from the UK Malayalee community, worried about the inconvenience they may face, including potential rerouting through Delhi or Mumbai, leading to longer travel times and additional layovers.

CIAL had previously engaged in discussions with British Airways regarding direct flights between Kochi and London-Gatwick during the Routes World Conference 2022 held in Las Vegas. Since then, both parties have held multiple rounds of positive talks on the matter last year. In light of Air India’s decision, CIAL wants organisations in the UK to exert pressure on the relevant authorities and bring to their attention the needs of a direct flight between London and Kochi.

Several organisations have begun making contacts with politicians in the UK and India and raising the demands for the need for direct flights.

Air India’s direct flights between London-Gatwick and Kochi have provided passengers with a convenient travel option, taking just nine hours to reach either destination. Although the ticket fares were relatively high, this route has been highly beneficial for Keralites looking to travel directly between the two cities.

Operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Air India’s flights on this route featured 238 Economy Class seats and 18 Business Class seats. Despite achieving a 97% occupancy rate for Economy Class seats, the airline faced challenges in selling Business Class tickets.

Economy Class fares typically started at approximately Rs45,000. However, when Business Class sales lagged, Air India had to increase Economy Class ticket prices by at least Rs15,000, subsequently causing a decline in bookings.

While CIAL has stated that Air India hasn’t officially announced the permanent cancellation of the direct flights, the airline has communicated that the Kochi-Gatwick route has been temporarily suspended due to maintenance needs. Although the route has proven profitable, Air India claims it lacks alternative aircraft to operate the service and cannot divert resources from other highly lucrative sectors.

Currently, Air India is the sole airline operating direct flights between the two cities, offering three weekly services. Since its launch in 2019, this route has seen considerable success. However, with the direct flights coming to an end as of 30h March 2025, passengers now face the possibility of relying on connecting flights through the Middle East.

Establishing direct flights between Kochi and London would not only benefit the UK Malayalee community but also address the increasing demand for convenient travel options between the two cities. With CIAL actively working towards securing partnerships with European airlines, there is hope that a viable solution for direct flights will be found in the near future.