In a first for the region, Air India Express on Thursday announced that it will launch direct flights from Guwahati to Dubai and Abu Dhabi in August, making it the first airline to provide non-stop connectivity between Northeast India and West Asia.
The direct Guwahati-Dubai service will commence from August 4, while flights between Guwahati and Abu Dhabi will begin from August 7, opening up international travel options for passengers from Assam and the wider Northeast region without the need for transit through metro cities.
The move marks Air India Express’ first international operations from Guwahati, a city that has emerged as one of the airline’s largest stations with nearly 120 weekly flights connecting it to destinations across India.
The new services are expected to benefit thousands of travellers, including tourists, students, businesspersons and members of the Indian diaspora in the United Arab Emirates, while also boosting trade, tourism and people-to-people ties between the Northeast and the Gulf region.
Guwahati-Dubai flight schedule
Under the schedule announced by the airline, the Guwahati-Dubai flight will operate every Tuesday, departing Guwahati at 12:25 pm and reaching Dubai at 4:10 pm local time. The return flight will leave Dubai at 5:10 pm and arrive in Guwahati at 12:25 am the following day.
Guwahati-Abu Dhabi flight schedule
The Guwahati-Abu Dhabi service will operate every Friday, departing Guwahati at 11:30 am and landing in Abu Dhabi at 3:15 pm local time. The return leg will take off from Abu Dhabi at 4:15 pm and reach Guwahati at 11:30 pm.
Bookings for both routes have opened across all major booking platforms, including the airline’s website and mobile application.
With the addition of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Air India Express will operate more than 290 weekly flights from four cities in Northeast India, Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Dimapur and Imphal, further strengthening air connectivity in a region that has traditionally relied on connecting flights through Delhi, Kolkata and other metropolitan hubs for international travel.
The airline also said it will continue showcasing the Northeast’s cultural identity through its ‘Tales of India’ initiative, under which traditional motifs and art forms from the region feature on aircraft tail designs.
These include Assam’s Gamosa and Jaapi, Nagaland’s Tsüngkotepsü, Manipur’s Moirang Phee and Saphee Lanphee, Arunachal Pradesh’s Idu Mishmi, Meghalaya’s Khneng and Mizoram’s Puanchei.
