Air India Delhi flight to depart from international terminal

: The Airports Authority of India will from Saturday permit Air India international flight AI 048 (Delhi-Kochi-Thiruvananthapuram) that arrives here at 10.40 p.m. to operate its services from the international terminal the following day as AI 466 Thiruvananthapuram-Kochi-Delhi flight.

Hitherto, the airline was spending money to tow the aircraft every night from Chakka to the domestic terminal near Shanghumughom. The services of two engineering staff and a ground-handling operator were needed.

S.B.S. Jacob, station manager, AI, Thiruvananthapuram, said this could be avoided from Saturday as the airport authorities had given permission to operate AI 466 from the international terminal from March 29.

The Hindu had reported on June 12, 2014, the problems faced by the airline and the passengers on account of the flight operating from the domestic terminal in spite of offering ‘through tagged in’ to flyers to destinations in the U.S., Europe, and Australia.

The decision will enable flyers to complete Customs and Immigration formalities here itself after checking in. This would benefit senior citizens proceeding to long-haul destinations. Foreign tourists would also benefit as the airport had T-VoA facility.

Those proceeding to New Delhi by the early morning flight, which has a huge patronage, would not have to travel up to Sanghumughom from Sunday.

It was being towed from Chakka to Shanghumughom

Foreign tourists, senior citizens to benefit