Air India Express to add direct Thiruvananthapuram flights to Riyadh and Bahrain
Air India Express will begin direct services from Thiruvananthapuram to Riyadh and Bahrain on October 27, with bookings open, according to the airport. Riyadh flights will operate three times a week and Bahrain flights twice weekly. The routes are expected to benefit expatriates from southern Kerala and neighbouring Tamil Nadu.
Thiruvananthapuram International Airport is set to gain new direct air links with Riyadh and Bahrain when Air India Express begins services on October 27. Bookings for both routes are open, according to the airport announcement. The Riyadh service will operate three times a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
It is intended to meet longstanding demand for a direct connection between the Kerala capital and Saudi Arabia’s capital. The new flights will supplement Air India Express’s existing daily service from Thiruvananthapuram to Dammam. The airport said the Riyadh route would offer greater convenience to passengers travelling between Kerala and Saudi Arabia.
The Bahrain service will operate twice a week, on Thursdays and Saturdays. Bahrain is already connected to Thiruvananthapuram by daily Gulf Air flights, meaning the new operation will add another airline and schedule option for travellers. The airport currently has more than 250 weekly air-traffic movements to Gulf destinations.
These include Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Doha, Muscat, Kuwait and Dammam. The two new services will expand the airport’s international network and strengthen connections between Kerala and the Gulf region. The airport expects the Riyadh flights to particularly benefit the large expatriate community from southern Kerala and neighbouring Tamil Nadu living in Saudi Arabia.
The announcement does not provide flight numbers, aircraft details, fares or journey times. It confirms only the start date, operating frequency and days of operation for the new routes. The services will give passengers travelling to Riyadh and Bahrain a direct option from Thiruvananthapuram rather than relying on existing connections or indirect travel.
Their launch will also increase the number of scheduled choices available from an airport that already handles substantial Gulf-region traffic.
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