Saudi Airlines is set to return to Kozhikode’s Karipur Airport after halting services in 2015 due to runway renovations that restricted large planes. Starting soon, the airline will offer seven weekly flights, with four flights to Jeddah and three to Riyadh. Plans are in place to increase this to 11 weekly flights by November.
The airline will use large Code E category aircraft for these routes, featuring 36 business class seats and 298 economy seats. Currently, Saudi Airlines serves other major Indian cities, including Bengaluru, Chennai, Kochi, Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Lucknow.
The return of Saudi Airlines raises hopes that other airlines like Emirates and Oman Air, which also ceased operations at Karipur due to the runway restrictions, will resume their services.
The restrictions on large aircraft at Karipur were enforced after a 2020 plane crash. Although all recommendations from the subsequent investigation have been implemented, the ban had remained until now. The return of Saudi Airlines marks a significant development for Karipur Airport and its passengers.