Summary
- IndiGo has announced a non-stop flight between Surat and Dubai, starting Feb 23, increasing its presence in the Middle East.
- Surat, known for its textile and diamond industries, will benefit from enhanced connectivity with Dubai for trade opportunities.
- IndiGo now operates 108 direct flights a week to Dubai from 13 cities in India, providing more options for business travelers.
From no Dubai flights to getting two non-stop connections within months of each other, the West Indian city of Surat now has options to choose from. India’s largest carrier, IndiGo, has joined the fray and will compete with Air India Express, which already operates this route.
Another Surat-Dubai flight
IndiGo has announced non-stop flights between Surat in the state of Gujarat and Dubai, starting February 23. This further consolidates the carrier’s presence in the Middle East, which includes all the popular destinations such as Doha, Damamm, Bahrain, and Ras Al Khaimah, among others. From February 22, the carrier will also add more frequencies on the Hyderabad-Dubai route.
Photo: stockphoto mania | Shutterstock
Regarding the latest announcement, Vinay Malhotra, Head of Global Sales, IndiGo, commented,
“We are delighted to introduce direct connectivity between Dubai and Surat, the two major commercial and economic hubs in the Middle East and India. With the addition of these flights, IndiGo operates 108 direct flights a week to Dubai from 13 cities in India. Surat, in Gujarat, is well-known for its flourishing textile and diamond industries, and enhancing connectivity with Dubai, will provide business travellers with trade opportunities and significantly contribute to economic development in both regions.”
Schedule
IndiGo’s Surat-Dubai flights are open for booking and will operate as per the following schedule:
|
Flight no |
Origin |
Destination |
Frequency |
Effective |
Departure |
Arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
6E 1992 |
Dubai |
Surat |
Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday |
February 23 |
17:15 |
21:30 |
|
6E 1991 |
Surat |
Dubai |
Saturday |
February 24 |
00:35 |
02:25 |
|
6E 1991 |
Surat |
Dubai |
Monday |
February 26 |
01:10 |
03:00 |
|
6E 1991 |
Surat |
Dubai |
Thursday |
February 29 |
00:10 |
02:00 |
Photo: Ajay k barik Photography | Shutterstock
Competing with Air India Express
Surat is the second-largest city in Gujarat and a significant economic hub in India. There has traditionally been a strong demand for a non-stop service between Surat and Dubai, as it has a strong community of diamond traders who wanted easy access to Dubai with a non-stop flight and further connections to the rest of the world through Dubai International Airport.
Air India Express, which under the Tata Group has been expanding swiftly, was the first airline to offer flights on this route in December 2023. It also has domestic flights out of Surat, with connections to destinations such as Delhi and Kolkata.
Photo: Wirestock Creators | Shutterstock
With Air India Express, the Tatas want to create a formidable low-cost carrier in the country that can not just complement the services of its full-cost carrier, Air India, but also present a credible challenge to IndiGo.
The latest Surat-Dubai route is one of several other routes that the two carriers compete on, and this rivalry will likely increase in the coming years as Air India Express develops its fleet further and starts more routes.
Air India Express Wants To Double Its Daily Departures By The Next Financial Year
The airline’s current capacity deployment is equally split between domestic and International.
The carrier is focusing on operations from mostly tier 2 and 3 cities in India, leaving the premium routes, such as Delhi-Mumbai for Air India. It also wants to double its daily departures by the next financial year, which currently stands at 320.
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