Air India to No Longer Operate Budget Flights From UAE to Mumbai

Air India to No Longer Operate Budget Flights From UAE to Mumbai

Air India’s budget airline will stop operating flights between UAE and peak-demand destinations such as Mumbai and Delhi, in a major reworking of how its main sectors will be serviced in future.

Travel agents in the UAE say the switch will reduce the number of lower-fare flights and seats available for Indian expats wanting to fly to Mumbai or Delhi.

The budget airline, Air India Express, will now serve only flights to Tier-2 cities in India from here. Simultaneously, the flagship carrier, Air India, will drop flights to destinations such as Goa, Indore and Kozhikode. The Sharjah-Kozhikode service operated by Air India will also no longer be there.

“Passengers who booked flights (to Mumbai or Delhi on Air India Express) have been advised to rebook,” said P. P. Singh, Regional Manager for the Gulf, Middle East and Africa network for both Indian carriers.

This would mean that Air India would eventually operate only to metro cities in India, leaving the smaller city operations to Air India Express.

The move is part of Air India’s major overhaul of its global operations, and with a record order for new aircraft having been placed. There are 450 flights operated by Air India and Air India Express in the