Dubai: Indian expatriates will be spoilt for choice when it comes to flying home. Soon there will be 11,000 more seats available each week between Dubai and Indian destinations, thanks to a new understanding between India and the UAE last week.
The two countries revised their bilateral air services agreement on the India-Dubai route in New Delhi on February 26, less than a year after a four-fold increase in weekly seats was agreed on the India-Abu Dhabi sector.
The agreement has also allowed Indian carriers to go in for a ‘change of gauge’ by allowing them to change aircraft they operate to Dubai. Indian airlines currently flying to the UAE include Air India, Air India Express, Jet Airways, SpiceJet and IndiGo. From Dubai, Emirates and Flydubai operate regular flights.
Flights between Dubai and India currently offer 54,200 seats per week between them. The seat enhancement is expected to be done in three phases – 5,500 seats this summer, 3,300 by winter and 2,200 by March 2015.
05/02/14 Sharmila Dhal/Gulf News
