Malayali expatriates will be the people who will be most adversely affected by the reduction of free baggage allowance from 30 to 20 kg on Air India Express flights from UAE to India. The airline, which has been heavily discriminating against Malayali passengers since its inception as an old public sector company, Air India, is now bringing out its old ways despite being owned by Tata. The new baggage restriction has come into effect on the 20th without any particular reason. An additional charge will be charged if the luggage is more than 20 kg. 1135 rupees for the first 5 kg and 1706 rupees for 10 kg. Malayali expatriates in the Gulf rely heavily on Air India Express services due to the relatively low fares. Maybe that's why Air India Express is finding a new way to squeeze more money out of them.

The expatriates who are suffering in the Gulf countries can visit their homes only every two to three years. They will need a good amount for travel expenses and air tickets alone. They will be having the thought "I am going home after a long time... I should gift something to my children and relatives" and will be coming home with many kinds of goods. The new baggage restriction is going to be another liability for them. If the weight of the box is more than 20 kg, an additional charge will have to be paid. Baggage restriction is applicable for journeys from UAE to India as well as for return journeys. Be aware that there are no such baggage restrictions for travel to other countries. Air India should withdraw from this act of finding and looting Indian expatriates in the UAE, most of whom are Malayalis. This can only be seen as severe discrimination. Despite the information coming out, none of the responsible people in the state have responded against this injustice.

Air India, along with other airlines, often doubles the ticket price by five or six times during the festive season to extort expatriates. The Central Aviation Department has not taken any action till date to stop this air robbery which has been going on for a long time. They are dodging the issue saying that this is within the scope of the airline companies. Passengers and some organizations have come forward to protest but who cares about such isolated protests?

Kodikunnil Suresh MP has approached the Aviation Minister against the implementation of baggage restriction by Air India Express. It is not clear what the answer was. Judging by the experience of the past, there is less chance of a favourable decision. However, it is welcome that at least one MP came forward to bring the demand of the passengers to the attention of the minister.
It was widely expected that there would be a change in Air India's approach to passengers when it left the public sector status and moved to the private sector. However, when we see many anti-people decisions, it seems that the hopes are misplaced.

It was only recently that the Director General of Civil Aviation imposed a fine of Rs 90 lakh on Air India for operating Mumbai-Doha service with inexperienced pilots. Air India's director of operations and director of training have also been fined. The Director of Operations has been suspended as well. Such lapses risking the lives of passengers by not following the safety rules should be given a greater punishment than this.