Air India Express to launch first international service from Navi Mumbai

Dhaka: Air India Express has announced plans to operate the first international service from Navi Mumbai International Airport, connecting the most populous Indian city with the UAE capital of Abu Dhabi.

The airline said it will launch direct flights between Navi Mumbai and Abu Dhabi from July 15, facilitating Mumbai Metropolitan Region passengers with an additional gateway to the UAE while also offering Indian expatriates another option to travel home.

The service will initially operate twice weekly, on Wednesdays and Fridays. Frequency will increase to three weekly flights starting July 29, adding operations on Sundays.

Navi Mumbai International Airport is Maharashtra's newest airport. It is expected to provide an additional aviation gateway for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, alongside Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.

With the new route, Air India Express will operate 30 weekly flights from Navi Mumbai, connecting the airport directly with Abu Dhabi, Bengaluru, and Delhi.

The airline said its overall operations in Maharashtra will include more than 95 weekly flights from Mumbai, over 100 weekly flights from Pune, and 14 weekly flights from Nagpur.

Air India Express currently operates flights linking several Indian cities with destinations across the Middle East, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.