Jet flight Muscat Thiruvananthapuram flight takes off

Airline major Jet Airways has pocketed the unique distinction of becoming first private airline in the country to operate flights from all three international airports in Kerala by launching services from Thiruvanathapuram to Muscat.

The new service comes as a boon to the two million-plus Keralites staying abroad, of which around 90 percent are in the Middle East.

The Boeing 737-800 which will fly between Thiruvananthapuram and Muscat offers premier and economy classes and costs a one way fare of Rs 6000. Jet is expected to follow up the new service with flights to Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The plans may be seen as a bid to tap the highly lucrative Kerala-Middle East route. Jet currently operates a daily flight to Doha from Kozhikode, and four daily flights from Kochi to Kuwait, Bahrain, Muscat and Doha. The Thiruvananthapuram – Muscat flight is expected to push up revenues which have been looking up, of late.

Significantly, the new Thiruvananthapuram-Muscat service has been brought in after the airline withdrew its daily flight from Kozhikode to the Oman capital. With the new service having been launched, the private airline major now boasts of as many 150 flights a week from three Kerala airports. It also has services from Mumbai and Delhi to Middle Eastern destinations such as Kuwait, Bahrain, Muscat, Doha, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Kerala has always been a prominent market for the airline and it cemented the belief this Onam season by celebrating the harvest festival on board its flights. As par of the celebrations, Jet Airways had served the traditional Onam feast  to its domestic as well as international passengers travelling on flights out of Kochi and Kozhikode on Thiruvonam day. On the menu were Malayalee delicacies complete with the Onam flavour. The airline had created a festive spirit by serving Onam meals on trays lined with banana leaf.