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Zayed International Airport reported that Air India Express launched services to Amritsar while relaunching flights to Goa from its runways on October 25, with each route operating three times per week to bolster links between the UAE capital and key points in India. The additions build directly on six new routes the airline introduced since 2025 to Guwahati, Indore, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Navi Mumbai and Pune. Airport figures show the carrier now maintains around 160 weekly flights from Abu Dhabi to 17 Indian destinations including Bengaluru, Delhi, Kannur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram and Tiruchirappalli.
These latest connections expand travel options for passengers while the airport continues to grow its partnership with Air India Express at the facility, Zayed International Airport said in a statement. The moves arrive as Abu Dhabi Airports recorded more than 33 million passengers across its network in 2025, the highest annual total in its history, according to authority data. Zayed International Airport itself saw fourth-quarter traffic rise 13.8 percent year-on-year to 8.59 million passengers that same year.
Nipun Aggarwal, Chairman of Air India Express and Chief Commercial Officer of Air India, said in the announcement, “The launch of services to Amritsar and the relaunch of flights to Goa further strengthen Abu Dhabi’s position within our growing international network.” He noted that following the addition of six routes from the emirate over the past year these new services reflect the airline’s continued focus on the corridor. Aggarwal added that the flights offer guests more convenient travel options while supporting stronger community, cultural and economic ties between the two countries.
The expansion aligns with sustained demand for air services between the UAE and India, where large expatriate populations and growing business links have driven consistent traffic growth. Air India Express operates as a low-cost carrier within the Air India group, allowing it to target both leisure destinations such as Goa and culturally significant cities including Amritsar. Industry assessments place India among the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets, supporting the decision to increase frequencies on the Abu Dhabi network.
Abu Dhabi authorities have prioritised aviation development as part of broader economic diversification efforts, with Zayed International Airport serving as a central element in that strategy. The addition of the two Indian routes increases the airport’s international reach at a time when flight movements at the facility climbed to 116,657 in 2025, Abu Dhabi Airports figures show. Officials continue to pursue new partnerships to attract more carriers and destinations to the terminal.
