The low-cost carrier becomes the first airline to connect Northeast India with West Asia, launching direct services to Dubai and Abu Dhabi this August.
DUBAI: Air India Express has announced a major aviation milestone by launching direct international flights connecting Guwahati with Dubai and Abu Dhabi. This landmark move makes the Tata Group-backed low-cost carrier the very first airline to establish a direct aviation corridor between Northeast India and West Asia, significantly boosting regional connectivity, trade, and tourism.
The newly introduced non-stop services are scheduled to kick off in early August. The Guwahati–Dubai route will commence operations on August 4, 2026, operating every Tuesday. This will be followed shortly by the Guwahati–Abu Dhabi service, which is set to take off on August 7, 2026, with weekly flights scheduled every Friday. Bookings for both routes have already gone live on the airline’s official portal, mobile application, and major travel booking channels.
Guwahati already serves as a critical junction for Air India Express, commanding approximately 120 weekly flights. However, these upcoming UAE routes represent the airline’s maiden international foray from the gateway city of Assam. According to the airline, the strategic route selection aims to bridge the economic gap between the North Eastern frontier and the Middle East’s primary trade and commercial hubs.
The weekly flight schedules have been designed with local timings in mind. The Tuesday Dubai-bound flight will depart Guwahati at 12:25 PM and touch down at 4:10 PM. The return leg leaves Dubai at 5:10 PM, landing back in Guwahati at 12:25 AM. Meanwhile, the Friday Abu Dhabi route departs Guwahati at 11:30 AM, arriving at 3:15 PM, with the return journey departing the UAE capital at 4:15 PM and landing in Assam at 11:30 PM.
With the international expansion, Air India Express expands its overall footprint in the Northeast network to over 290 weekly flights spanning four key cities: Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Dimapur, and Imphal.
Apart from physical connectivity, the airline is utilizing its fleet to celebrate the Northeast’s rich cultural fabric through its unique ‘Tales of India’ initiative. The aircraft tail designs prominently feature traditional regional motifs, including Assam’s iconic Gamosa and Jaapi, Nagaland’s Tsüngkotepsü, and Manipur’s Moirang Phee. Air India Express, a Tata Enterprise, currently operates over 500 daily flights across 43 domestic and 16 international destinations with a growing fleet of over 100 Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 aircraft.
