Team Blitz India
DUBAI: The city of Surat in Gujarat has achieved direct air connectivity with Dubai. Air India Express, the budget carrier this week commenced a direct flight between Surat and Dubai.
Air India Express is the first airline to directly connect the two cities on the very day when the new international terminal of Surat Airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Surat holds great importance for Air India Express as we expand our network on the back of a new fleet. We are part of the moment when Surat International Airport is growing and unveiling its new terminal. Air India Express is committed to fueling the growth story of Surat, as we connect the City of Diamonds to the City of Gold with this historic flight,” said Aloke Singh, Managing Director of Air India Express on the historic occasion.
The airline has announced that it will operate four weekly flights on the Surat-Dubai route. Air India Express is the exclusive airline facilitating international flights from Surat, with a frequency of five weekly flights to Sharjah as well.
The airline is looking to increase capacity to the Gulf region including the UAE, as well as provide better connectivity to Gulf travellers in different Tier 2 and 3 cities across India.
“There will be some capacity increases to Saudi Arabia and a little bit to Bahrain, Qatar and UAE. Between UAE and Kerala, the market is pretty well-served. We may be looking at increasing capacity from Kannur, a somewhat new point. In the Kerala-Gulf market, we will be offering some connectivity beyond points in Kerala to other points in India, so that people from the UAE and Gulf region will have better connectivity within different cities across India,” Singh added talking to media on the occasion.
India-Dubai is one of the busiest air corridors as the UAE is home to the highest number of Indian diaspora, accounting for more than one-third of the UAE’s population. In addition, Dubai is also one of the most popular destinations among the Indian tourists.
