Madam Speaker, there is an urgent need for direct flight connectivity between New Delhi and Thiruvananthapuram, the State Capital of Kerala not only to prevent the loss of valuable time for my constituents but also to strengthen Kerala’s tourism industry.

I might add that a dozen MPs including one of the Government’s Ministers use that airport. So, I hope the Civil Aviation Minister takes it seriously. It is a big irony that you can fly directly from Thiruvananthapuram to dozens of various Gulf countries like, Bahrain, Kuwait, Muscat, Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Jeddah and even Singapore. But you cannot fly directly to Delhi.

Now our domestic services have been deregulated. The Central Government could incentivise airline operators to provide for direct flights. Alternatively, the Government could expand category-I routes mentioned in the Route Dispersal Guidelines and require direct flights between the national Capital and State Capitals. That will also grant Thiruvananthapuram a connectively. I would, therefore, urge the Government to do it.