Air India Express Deepens Indian Connectivity at Zayed International Airport with Amritsar and Goa Services

The airline's expanding network now connects Abu Dhabi with 17 Indian cities, operating 160 weekly flights and reinforcing the emirate's position as a gateway between the UAE and India.

The rhythm of international travel through Abu Dhabi continues to deepen, with Air India Express opening fresh pathways to two resonant Indian destinations. From 25 October, the airline launched direct services to Amritsar, the cultural heart of Punjab and home to centuries of Sikh heritage, alongside the relaunch of flights to Goa, the coastal sanctuary that draws travellers seeking both leisure and connection. Each route operates three times weekly, extending the airline’s remarkable expansion across the subcontinent.

This latest milestone reflects Air India Express’s sustained commitment to strengthening ties between Abu Dhabi and India. Over the past 12 months, the airline has introduced services to Guwahati, Indore, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Navi Mumbai and Pune, weaving a comprehensive network across the Indian landscape. The airline now maintains approximately 160 weekly flights from Zayed International Airport to 17 Indian cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, Kannur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram and Tiruchirappalli.

Carsten Norland, Chief Commercial Officer of Abu Dhabi Airports, underscored the strategic importance of these connections. “India remains one of the most important markets for Abu Dhabi, and the launch of Air India Express services to Amritsar together with the return of Goa flights further strengthens the links between the two nations,” he observed. The expansion represents a natural continuation of the airport’s broader international trajectory, as recently demonstrated by as we reported in the inauguration of daily direct service to Berlin, which further anchors Abu Dhabi as a pivotal international hub.

Nipun Aggarwal, Chairman of Air India Express and Chief Commercial Officer of Air India, noted that these services reflect the airline’s wider strategy. “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 said. “Following the addition of six routes from the emirate over the past year, these new services reflect our continued commitment to enhancing connectivity between India and the UAE.”

The additions cultivate multiple dimensions of travel: tourism flows to Amritsar’s cultural treasures and Goa’s legendary shores, business corridors linking commercial hubs, and the intimate passages of kinship that bind diaspora communities to their origins. Together, these routes acknowledge the profound ties that connect the two nations across generations and geographies.

What it means for Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi’s position as the primary aviation gateway to India strengthens considerably with these new routes. The emirate now hosts the largest direct flight frequency between the UAE and India through Air India Express alone, reinforcing its role as the preferred hub for Indian travellers. This expansion supports the emirate’s broader tourism, business and cultural objectives, opening new channels for visitor arrivals from two significant centres of Indian life and commerce.

The deepening connectivity carries particular resonance for Abu Dhabi’s Indian communities, who maintain deep ties to their homeland. Enhanced travel options to Amritsar and Goa facilitate visits to family and cultural sites, while the frequency of these services signals the airline’s confidence in sustained demand from the emirate. This human dimension complements Abu Dhabi’s established identity as a destination where cultural bridges flourish and international belonging finds welcoming shores.

Source: WAM (27 October 2026)