British Airways is preparing the possibility of starting a direct flight from London to Kerala and back.

London : British Airways is preparing the possibility of starting a direct flight from London to Kochi, Kerala and back.

Officials from British Airways reached Kochi and held several rounds of talks, and if all goes according to the airlines' plan, the end result will be the long overdue disruption of direct travel by UK Malayalis. Officials of Cochin International Airport Limited say they are awaiting more information.

Moran Birger, Head of Sales, South Asia, Middle East and Africa, British Airways, said: “British Airways is receiving strong demand from India, its second largest market after the US. India is an incredibly important market for us.

British Airways operates 56 weekly flights to London and India. Apart from Mumbai, flights fly to Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi and Hyderabad.

Currently Air India is the only direct service from London Gatwick to Kochi and vice versa. With no other airlines operating direct flights from London to Kochi, these thrice-weekly direct flights maximized fares and Air India maintained its monopoly in the region.

Top officials of British Airways have visited Kochi to assess ZIAL's baggage handling, ramp operations and passenger services and confirmed that everything is in order. An announcement is expected soon and British Airways is likely to start operations in two to three months.

The Keralite community in the UK sees this as a positive development as a direct British Airways flight from London to Kochi means they have an alternative and fares are going to come down with more competition from another player in the region.

Another benefit to the community is that British Airways can provide connectivity flights for residents of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to reach Gatwick or London and catch a direct flight to Kochi via British Airways.

As Kochi is the commercial capital of Kerala, the commercial benefits for UK and Kerala through this route will be huge. Kochi is one of the most sought after routes in India. With the opening up of the health sector, there is a huge influx of healthcare workers from Kerala to the UK, creating huge potential for direct flights by British Airways.

It will also help Keralites living on the east coast of the US to come to the UK to get a direct flight to Kochi. More and more people are looking towards Kerala as a holiday destination with more resorts and better quality of holiday destinations.