India-UAE flights: Budget airline launches Goa-Dubai direct service

India's first international budget airline, Air India Express, announced the launch of its operations from Goa International Airport to Dubai. The first flight IX 840 took off at 1:00am on Monday with 148 passengers on board from Dabolim Airport.

The four weekly direct flights from Goa Airport will have a departure time of 01:00 AM and arrive in Dubai at 02:55 AM. The return flight from Dubai will depart at 06:05 PM and land in Goa at 10:55 PM.

The carrier will operate flights from Goa to Dubai on Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Return flights from Dubai are on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

To mark the occasion, Aloke Singh, Managing Director, Air India Express and AirAsia India, said: "We are thrilled to start our maiden international services from Goa under the Air India Express banner, which is amongst India's most popular tourist destinations".

Singh said that the airline takes pride in being the only airline that offers direct connectivity to Dubai from Goa. AirAsia India, which is set to merge with Air India Express, already operates 13 daily direct flights to/from Goa, connecting five domestic cities.

"We hope to be a part of the tourism success story of the state and remain committed to offering the best of services to our customers," he added.

Inputs from PTI

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