Just days after Goa MLAs raised alarm in the Legislative Assembly over the abrupt discontinuation of Air India’s direct Goa–London (Gatwick) service, Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginald Lourenco on Thursday flagged yet another blow to the State’s international air connectivity.
During the Zero Hour session, Lourenco pointed out that Air India Express, which had launched its Goa–Kuwait–Goa service on May 3, 2025, is now scheduled to discontinue the route from July 31, 2025. The move, he said, has triggered fear and anxiety among Goans residing in Kuwait who rely heavily on this link.
“Attention is drawn from the House to the fear and anxiety among Goans residing in Kuwait. Air India Express, which began operations on the Goa–Kuwait–Goa route on 03/05/2025, is now going to stop operations from 31/07/2025. Steps must be taken by the government to ensure at least one weekly flight remains operational on this route,” Lourenco stated.
He further highlighted that it was following his earlier efforts that the Goa–Kuwait flight had commenced, only for it now to face cancellation again. Lourenco urged Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to intervene and take up the matter with Air India to prevent the route from being discontinued.
This development comes even as Chief Minister Sawant has written to Union Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu, seeking the immediate resumption of the suspended Goa–London Gatwick service. The flight was suspended in June 2025 following the tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad and was initially expected to resume by July 15, 2025. However, operations remain halted, leaving the Goan diaspora in the United Kingdom in a difficult position.
In his letter to the Civil Aviation Minister, CM Sawant wrote, “It has come to our attention that the non-stop Goa–Gatwick flight, operated by Air India, was suspended in June 2025 following the Ahmedabad plane crash. It was initially expected that operations would resume by 15th July 2025. However, Air India has yet to reinstate the service on this route. Many Goans rely on this flight for employment and other purposes, and its suspension has caused significant inconvenience. I request you to kindly take up this matter with Air India and facilitate the early resumption of the service.”
The repeated disruption of critical international routes has raised serious concerns among citizens and elected representatives, who are now calling for immediate and sustained government intervention to protect Goa’s global connectivity and ensure uninterrupted access for its diaspora.