Jazeera likely to operate bi-weekly charter flights between Kuwait-M'luru via Dammam from April 8
Mangaluru: Kuwaiti low-cost carrier, Jazeera Airways will likely operate special bi-weekly charter flights between Kuwait and Mangaluru via Dammam starting April 8, 2026, sources said.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has reportedly granted permission for the special operations. The flights will operate twice a week, on Wednesdays and Sundays.
As per the plan, passengers will be ferried from Kuwait to Dammam by road, a journey of around six hours. The route will include a mandatory stop at the Saudi border for checks before reaching Dammam airport, from where they will board the flight to Mangaluru. A similar process will be followed on the return journey, with a stop at the Kuwait border for mandatory checks.
Flight J9 3417 will depart Kuwait at 8.40 am (local time) and arrive in Mangaluru at 4.10 pm IST. On the return leg, Flight J9 3418 will depart Mangaluru at 4.55 pm IST and reach Kuwait at 7.40 pm (local time).
Jazeera Airways had earlier operated special charter flights to Mangaluru during the global pandemic.
The airline is also considering increasing the frequency from two to four flights per week, subject to approvals from the authorities, sources added.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
