In a month, flyers from tricity will have direct connectivity to Abu Dhabi, the thriving capital city of United Arab Emirates, from Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport.
Strengthening international connectivity from the airport, airline carrier IndiGo has announced a daily direct flight between Abu Dhabi and Chandigarh, starting from May 15.
The inaugural flight will depart from Abu Dhabi at 10.15 pm on May 15 and reach Chandigarh at 3.30 am IST on May 16. From Chandigarh, the first flight will take off at 2.45 am IST on May 16 and reach Abu Dhabi at 5.15 am local time after a journey of four hours.
Currently, the return fare for the flight is priced at around ₹66,000.
The launch of this route will provide enhanced flight options, seamless connectivity and ease of accessibility for business and tourism travellers commuting to UAE in general and Abu Dhabi in particular, where a significant number of north Indians have also migrated for work.
Besides, the improved connectivity can attract more tourists from Abu Dhabi and the surrounding region to Chandigarh and Punjab, boosting the tourism industry here.
Vinay Malhotra, head of Global Sales, IndiGo, said, “We are pleased to announce direct flights between Abu Dhabi and Chandigarh. This new route will offer customers increased options to travel between the UAE and north India.”
Airport’s chief executive officer (CEO) Rakesh Ranjan Sahay said, “Bookings for this sector have commenced. We will also be holding a meeting with customs and immigration, as their support is critical for starting this flight.”
Currently, the airport’s only other international flight is to Dubai that operates seven days a week.
Two new domestic flights
As part of the summer schedule that kicked in from April 1, two new domestic destinations — Dharamshala and Jammu — have already been added. Alliance Air is connecting the region to Dharamshala, while IndiGo is linking the tricity to Jammu.
Apart from this airport caters to several major routes, including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Indore, Leh, Jaipur, Lucknow, Chennai, Patna, Pune and Srinagar.
From March 31, the airport witnessed an increase from the 74 flights in the winter schedule to a total of 94 flights in summer — comprising both arrivals and departures.
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