MANGALORE: Violence, bandh and curfew in the city and its surrounding limits have reportedly cast their shadow on the bookings of tri-weekly Dubai-Mangalore flight service of Air India Express which started its service on October 3.

Fourth trip

The airline completed its fourth trip between the two destinations on October 9. In the first two trips all the 180 seats in the airline were booked. When it arrived on its third trip on October 7 the city was under curfew and there was violence.

According to sources in Air India, as the news of violence and curfew had spread to West Asia, the airline could get only 150 passengers on both in-coming and out-going trips. In its fourth trip on Monday only 107 passengers landed at the Bajpe airport from Dubai. And, from Mangalore to Dubai only 103 passengers travelled the same day. Some passengers even cancelled their tickets.

Festival season

Sources said that with Diwali coming up and Christmas only a month away the airline was expected to operate to its full capacity. V. Tulasidas, chairman and managing director, Air India Express Limited, speaking at a function at the Bajpe airport on October 3 had said that the Dubai-Mangalore service had got an unprecedented response.

Incidentally of two persons who were killed in communal violence in the city limits one person was reportedly stabbed on his way to the Bajpe airport on Saturday. According to police the deceased was supposed to fly to Dubai the same day.

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