MUMBAI: Jet Airways has announced plans to add 28 weekly flights between India and Abu Dhabi next year, adding three Indian cities to the network.
The airline will launch daily flights between Tiruchirapalli and Abu Dhabi, from February 1, reports The Economic Times.
It also plans to start daily flights from Kannur as well as connect Chandigarh with Abu Dhabi via daily flights during the second half of 2017.
It will also introduce a second daily service between Delhi and Abu Dhabi from January 15.
Jet Airways and its equity partner Etihad Airways also announced that the partners are also increasing frequencies to several cities where they said demand has risen.
Etihad will add a fourth daily flight to Kozhikode, while doubling frequencies to Delhi and Ahmedabad. Etihad currently operates 175 flights a week between Abu Dhabi and 11 Indian cities.
James Hogan, Etihad Aviation Group’s president and chief executive, said that “Jet Airways is Etihad Airways’ leading equity partner in terms of revenue and passenger contribution”, reports The National.
Last year, Etihad and Jet together carried a record 3.3 million passengers between Abu Dhabi and India, up 63 per cent from 2 million in 2014. The partners together account for the biggest share of passenger traffic to and from the subcontinent.
India has been Abu Dhabi’s top source market for tourists since 2013. According to figures from the Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi), hotel stays by visitors from India nearly doubled from 80,000 in the first half of 2013 to 152,423 in the first half of this year.
Musafir Namah Bureau
