Mangaluru: Jazeera Airways will begin operating special biweekly charter flights between Kuwait and Mangaluru from April 8, offering temporary relief to passengers affected by disruptions in West Asia air travel amid the Iran-Israel, US conflict.The Kuwait-based airline has received approval from the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation to run the charter service every Wednesday and Sunday. The arrangement is expected to remain in place through April on a tentative basis, said sources.Under the approved schedule, passengers will first travel by road from Kuwait to Dammam in Saudi Arabia, a journey of about six hours. The route includes a mandatory stop at the Saudi border for immigration and security checks before passengers continue to Dammam airport to board the flight to Mangaluru. The same process will be followed on the return leg, with passengers stopping at the Kuwait border for required checks before re-entering the country.Flight J9 3417 is scheduled to depart Kuwait at 8.40 am local time and arrive in Mangaluru at 4.10 pm IST. The return flight, J9 3418, will leave Mangaluru at 4.55 pm and reach Kuwait at 7.40 pm local time.Jazeera Airways had earlier operated special charter services to Mangaluru during the Covid-19 pandemic. Industry sources said the airline is now considering increasing the frequency from two to four flights a week, subject to further regulatory approvals.Travel agents said the airline is also expanding services to other Indian destinations. According to an airline announcement cited by a Kuwait-based travel agent, Jazeera is expected to operate 63 weekly flights to India in the first phase, with scope for additional services depending on demand.Ticket prices for the Kuwait-Mangaluru charter are currently ranging between 210 Kuwaiti dinars and 230 Kuwaiti dinars, or about Rs 63,000 to Rs 70,000. When the service was first announced, fares were priced at 260 Kuwaiti dinars, approximately Rs 78,000.
