As the UAE marks its 52nd National Day today, not just local but foreign firms have also joined the country’s celebration.
Budget carrier Air India Express on Saturday announced a 15 per cent discount on all international flights for direct channel bookings made till December 3, 2023, for travel from December 2, 2023, to March 31, 2024, in a tribute to the UAE National Day.
Air India Express operates to various destinations in the Gulf and Middle East, with a total of 195 weekly departures from India to the UAE alone.
The airline connects various destinations in the UAE, including Dubai (DXB) with 80 flights, followed by Sharjah with 77 weekly flights, and Abu Dhabi with 31 flights. Other UAE destinations include Al Ain with 2 flights and Ras Al Khaimah with 5 weekly flights.
Aloke Singh, managing director, Air India Express, recently told Khaleej Times that 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. On 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,” said Singh.
The UAE is home to nearly 3.5 million Indian diaspora, the highest expat community in the Emirates, working in different fields and businesses.
“As we commemorate the UAE National Day, it’s crucial to reaffirm our dedication to the region, boasting an extensive network linking the UAE and India. Air India Express has a historical and emotional connection with the UAE market, as we commenced our operations 18 years back, with 3 flights taking off simultaneously from three different airports in India to Dubai,” said Tara Naidu, vice-president for international business, Air India Express.