Air-India has informed the Kerala government that it would start budget flights to Doha, Bahrain and Kuwait, state finance and excise minister Vakkom Purushothaman told the assembly on Friday.

The government had also brought to the notice of Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, the problems faced by passengers on the Kerala-Gulf sector in A-I's Budget Express flights, he said, replying to a calling attention motion on behalf of Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on the need to put pressure on the Centre to take urgent steps to provide more airline services from the Gulf sector to Kerala.

The civil aviation ministry has been asked to increase the number of flights between Kerala and the Gulf sector during festivals and holiday seasons, he said.

Puroshottaman said the government would soon convene a meeting of all airlines operating from the state to the Gulf to find a solution to the excess fare being charged by A-I in this sector.

The government was also going ahead with its plan of starting a flight company with private participation, he said.