Mangaluru: The Mangaluru–Muscat flight operated by Air India Express, which stopped last year, resumed operations on Tuesday, amid the Iran-Israel war situation.The flight from Mangaluru to Muscat carried 147 passengers, including four infants, and the Muscat to Mangaluru flight carried 162 passengers, including seven infants.
Although the flight services were supposed to resume from March 1, it was delayed due to the Iran-Israel, US war, which impacted airports in the Gulf region. With the start of the flight, the region is again connected with Oman. Expatriates from coastal districts working in Oman said that they are happy about the start of the services, and added that the airline should not stop them again. “We had to travel through Bengaluru, Mumbai, or other nearby international airports to reach our hometown for the past nine months. We are happy that the service resumed,” said Shashidhar Shetty Mallar, an expatriate from Oman, and an entrepreneur.Dakshina Kannada MP Capt Brijesh Chowta said that he corresponded with the Union ministry of civil aviation, urging the resumption of the flight service. According to the current schedule, Air India Express will operate flights two times a week, on Sundays and Tuesdays. This direct service will not only save travel time, but also provide significant convenience for non-resident Indians travelling directly to their hometowns, the MP said.Flight cancelledDue to the ongoing war, flights from Mangaluru International Airport to other Gulf countries, except for Muscat, remained cancelled on Tuesday as well. Several flights will remain cancelled on Wednesday, including those to Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, and Dammam.
