Kochi: Around 300 pilgrims from Kerala who are desirous of attending the canonisation of Mother Teresa are currently at the mercy of national carrier Air India, to take the long route to Rome.
With no seats available in most of the airlines, owing to the flow of Gulf Malayalis returning after vacation, the pilgrims’ search for the most suitable route ended at Air India.
The shortest flight route to Vatican, where the canonisation ceremony is scheduled to be held on September 4, is via Dubai. Due to non-availability of seats, travel agents are considering an alternative route to Rome from Kochi, via Delhi.
“The problem with the route is that Air India operates low-capacity aircraft in the Kochi-Delhi sector. It could be solved if Air India operates flights with larger capacity in the first week of September,” said ITL Holidays, Kochi, general manager Abraham Joseph.
Though the Kochi station of Air India has asked its headquarters to allot high-capacity aircraft in the Kochi-Delhi route, considering requests from travel agents, it has not elicited any response yet.
03/07/16 Babu K Peter/New Indian Express
To Read the News in full at Source, Click the Headline
With no seats available in most of the airlines, owing to the flow of Gulf Malayalis returning after vacation, the pilgrims’ search for the most suitable route ended at Air India.
The shortest flight route to Vatican, where the canonisation ceremony is scheduled to be held on September 4, is via Dubai. Due to non-availability of seats, travel agents are considering an alternative route to Rome from Kochi, via Delhi.
“The problem with the route is that Air India operates low-capacity aircraft in the Kochi-Delhi sector. It could be solved if Air India operates flights with larger capacity in the first week of September,” said ITL Holidays, Kochi, general manager Abraham Joseph.
Though the Kochi station of Air India has asked its headquarters to allot high-capacity aircraft in the Kochi-Delhi route, considering requests from travel agents, it has not elicited any response yet.
03/07/16 Babu K Peter/New Indian Express
