Air India Express set to launch more Gulf flights

Air India Express is set to launch new flights to the Gulf in September and October, it was reported on Monday.

According to the Hindu Business Line, the low cost airline subsidiary of Air India will operate additional flights from four centres — Mangalore, Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvanthapuram — to destinations in the Gulf starting September 17 until October 27.

A spokesperson told the paper around 130 additional flights will clear the vacation crowd from India to the GCC region.

The carrier will reportedly add Sunday and Thursday flights on the Kozhikode to Dubai route while also adding daily flights on the Kozhikode to Dammam, Saudi Arabia route.

The paper added that on Mondays and Saturdays, Air India Express will operate extra flights from Kochi to both Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

According to the airline, flights will operate on Thiruvanthapuram to Abu Dhabi route on Fridays, to Dubai on all Thursdays and Saturdays and from Thiruvanthapuram to Sharjah on Mondays and Wednesdays.

A Mangalore to Abu Dhabi and Muscat route will operate every Saturdays while Mangalore to Dubai will operate on a Monday.

It is the latest move by Indian airlines to expand its Gulf operations.

Last week, it was reported that SpiceJet is set to launch flights to Saudi Arabia as part of its international expansion plans.

The Riyadh flights would add to the airline's Gulf offering after the budget carrier launched flights to Dubai in June.

India's Jet Airways also announced the launch of a new daily Mumbai-Sharjah service and resumption of its flights from Kochi to Kuwait and Bahrain.

The Mumbai-Sharjah flight, beginning from October 18, will be the airline's sixth daily flight to the UAE from Mumbai, in addition to the existing four dailies to Dubai and one daily flight to Abu Dhabi.

Indian low-cost carrier IndiGo has also announced the introduction of new flights connecting Dubai to destinations in southern India.