Media Release

Kuwait, Feb 12: A delegation from United Associations of Karnataka, Kuwait (UAKK), a forum of several associations of Karnataka and North Kerala in Kuwait met Jaleel Khaled, general manager of Jet Airways for Kuwait, Abudhabi and Al-Ain region in their Sharq office and recently submitted a memorandum addressed to Naresh Goel – chairman of Jet Airways requesting him to consider Jet Airways direct flights to Kuwait / Mangalore sector or Kuwait / Mangalore / Bangalore sector as soon as possible as most of the Coastal Karnataka NRIs and the NRIs from northern parts of Kerala in Kuwait prefer to travel in Jet Airways flights which will help them to fulfill their travelling/vacation commitments in time.

The delegation included Hasan Yusuf and prominent Coastal Karnataka NRIs Satishchandra Shetty, Archie Menezes, Ramesh Kidiyoor, Stephen Machado, Fayaz Sheikh and James Paul.

The memorandum was jointly signed by the heads of following14 Karnataka state associations operating in Kuwait for community development projects:

Karnataka Muslim Welfare Association (KMWA), Kuwait
Tulukoota Kuwait (TKK)
Kuwait Canara Welfare Association, Kuwait (KCWA)
Kuwait Kerala Muslim Association (KKMA), Karnataka Wing
Kuwait Kannada Koota (KKK)
Kasaragod Expats Association (KEA)
BantaraSangha Kuwait (BSK)
Shirva Welfare Association, Kuwait (SWAK)
KundapurVarado Welfare Association, Kuwait (KVWA)
St. Aloysius College Alumni Association (SACAA), Kuwait
Kuwait Pangala Association (KPA)
Agnesian Alumnae Kuwait (AAK)
Kuwait Brahmavar Welfare Association
United Mangaloreans Kuwait

Copies of the memorandum have been submitted to the senior management authorities of Jet Airways: Nikos Kardassis – CEO, SudheerRaghavan – COO, Gaurang Shetty – senior VP (commercial) and Shakir Kantawala – regional manager, Gulf, Middle East and North Africa and the manager – Jet Airways, Mangalore.  Memorandum has also been copied to prominent dignitaries H E  Satish C Mehta, ambassador of India, Kuwait, Dr M VeerappaMoily, union cabinet minister, Jayaprakash Hegde – MP, Lok Sabha, Nalin Kumar Kateel – MP, lok sabha and to J T Radhakrishna – airport director, Mangalore.

Jaleel Khaled said that he will personally talk to the Jet Airways senior management regarding the request from UAKK Coastal Karnataka NRIs in Kuwait.

UAKK has been formed to accelerate joint strategies for some common goals of Karnataka State NRIs in Kuwait. Earlier, during the month of January, UAKK heads of associations and prominent NRIs of Coastal Karnataka had discussed about the possibility of Jet Airways direct flights to Kuwait / Mangalore sector or Kuwait / Mangalore / Bangalore sector in a meeting held on January 12, 2013 at Indian Community Senior Girls School in Salmiya.

S M Basheer, senior official from KKMA welcomed.  Open discussion was held regarding the hurdles of passengers in present scenario and was decided to contact with Jet Airways Management requesting them to consider direct flights to Kuwait / Mangalore sector. 

Heads of the associations elected Hasan Yusuf as chief coordinator and prominent NRIs Satishchandra Shetty, S M Basheer, Archie Menezes, Ramesh Kidiyoor, Stephen Machado and Salam Kalandad as coordinators.

Steven Machado, president of KCWA – Kuwait proposed the vote of thanks.