Indian residents in the UAE can look forward to more affordable travel options as IndiGo, a low-cost carrier, expands its operations to include three more Indian cities starting next month.
IndiGo will launch direct flights from Abu Dhabi to Mangaluru, Coimbatore, and Tiruchirappalli in August. The new routes aim to provide cost-effective travel for the large Indian expatriate community in the UAE, which numbers around 3.7 million.
Starting August 9, daily flights will connect Abu Dhabi with Mangaluru. Tiruchirappalli flights will operate four times a week from August 11, while Coimbatore will have thrice-weekly flights beginning August 10.
The airline offers competitive one-way fares, with prices as low as Dh353 to Mangaluru and Dh330 to Coimbatore. Return fares can be as low as Dh843, making travel more accessible for UAE residents.
The UAE-India air corridor is among the busiest, driven by a high demand for travel between the two countries. This demand often causes airfares to spike, especially during peak travel seasons like summer and New Year. Industry experts have been urging governments to increase seat capacity to meet the growing demand.
According to aviation consultancy OAG, the India-UAE corridor ranked as the ninth busiest in July 2024, with 2.192 million seats. Abu Dhabi Airports’ data for the first quarter of 2024 showed Mumbai, Kochi, and Delhi as the top destinations, with passenger numbers reaching 240,681, 206,139, and 203,395, respectively.
Vinay Malhotra, IndiGo’s head of global sales, stated that the airline now operates 89 non-stop flights a week to Abu Dhabi from 13 Indian cities. He emphasized IndiGo’s commitment to offering an “affordable” travel experience.
In addition to these new routes, IndiGo will start direct flights between Bengaluru and Abu Dhabi six times a week from August 1. Earlier this year, the airline also removed fuel charges on all its domestic and international flights, further reducing travel costs for passengers.
