On 5th August 2023, Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed took to Twitter to complain about the unavailability of flights to the Kannur airport in Kerala. She was schooled by the netizens about the operation of flights on various routes depending on passenger demand and occupancy levels.
Shama Mohamed tweeted, “Have to take a 2 am flight to Hyderabad & then a 6 am flight to Kannur from there because there are no Direct flights to Kannur from Delhi & the only airline which operates this route is Indigo. Kannur airport is 5 years old but we have hardly any direct flights and very few international flights (only operated by Indian aircraft). The new north Goa airport which is not even 2 years old has plenty of direct flights, many international flights! Why this step-motherly treatment at Kannur Airport Jyotiraditya Scindia?” Dr Shama Mohamed also shared a selfie with this post.
Have to take a 2 a.m flight to Hyderabad & then a 6 a.m flight to kannur from there because there are no Direct flights to kannur from Delhi & the only airline which operates this route is @indigo! Kannur airport is 5 years old but we have hardly any direct flights and very few… pic.twitter.com/wM9Eg9WONJ
— Dr. Shama Mohamed (@drshamamohd) August 4, 2023
What Shama Mohamed did not think is that private airlines operate more flights on the routes which have passenger demand, and flight frequency depends upon passenger footfalls. The government cannot make more flights available on a route just because some entitled politician was inconvenienced.
Netizens stepped in to explain the realities of the business to the Congress spokesperson.
Swathi Bellam replied, “Ma’am why a selfie for this post? Goa gets the second highest number of tourists after Kashi in India So they have plenty of flights Kannur is just one of 600 + districts in India Forget about the airport the place didn’t have good highway connectivity during your party rule.”
Ma’am why a selfie for this post ?
— Swathi Bellam (@BellamSwathi) August 6, 2023
Goa gets second highest number of tourists after Kashi in India
So they have plenty of flights
Kannur is just one of 600 + districts in India
Forget about airport the place didn’t have good highway connectivity during your party rule
They can’t put a direct flight just because you fly once in an year
— Swathi Bellam (@BellamSwathi) August 6, 2023
Flight will come when there is commercial potential
She also posted, “They can’t put a direct flight just because you fly once in a year. Flights will come when there is commercial potential.”
Shiva replied, “Please direct this tweet to airline operators as it is a commercial decision by them on where to fly. Airlines rely on passengers to survive, not a passenger.”
Please direct this tweet to airline operators as its a commercial decision by them on where to fly.
— Shiva (@SCK_840) August 5, 2023
Airlines rely on passengers to survive.. not a passenger.
Sriram replied, “Guess what. Airlines operate flights based on demand and not on how long an airport has been open.”
Guess what. Airlines operate flights based on demand and not on how long an airport has been open..🤡🤡
— Sriram (@sri32) August 6, 2023
Wingman posted, “Airlines are way ahead in the game! When route planners spot lucrative city pairs, they waste no time launching multiple connections. Profit is the name of the game for private operators!”
Airlines are way ahead in the game! When route planners spot lucrative city pairs, they waste no time launching multiple connections. Profit is the name of the game for private operators!
— WingMan (@nailingtheliars) August 6, 2023
SK Kashyap replied, “It is a matter of demand and supply. That’s it. Airlines are not operated by Govt like railways. If the operator sees demand, someone will come up!”
It is matter of demand and supply. That’s it. Airlines are not operated by Govt like railways. If the operator sees demand, someone will come up!
— S K Kashyap (@cvoice5678) August 5, 2023
Kannur, located in the coastal state of Kerala, India, is a city rich in cultural heritage and natural beauty. Known as the “Land of Looms and Lores,” it has a long history of traditional handloom weaving and vibrant folklore. However, airway connectivity to Kannur was never a prime route for airlines to directly connect it to various cities. There are two prime reasons for this.
One is that Kannur boasts a glorious maritime history as an ancient port city. Its strategic location on the Arabian Sea made it a significant trade hub for spices, textiles, and other commodities, connecting India to the rest of the world. The other reason is that Kannur has three airports within a distance of 280 kilometres.
The Calicut Airport at 122 kilometers, and Kochi Airport at 280 kilometers. Calicut and Kochi airports are at a few hours’ drive away from Kannur. Tagging the aviation minister for the number of flights operated by private players was a peculiar thing to do, because the government cannot force private airlines to operate on non-profitable routes.
