Air India Express, on Thursday, announced the launch of its direct international flight from Vijayawada to Sharjah. The inaugural flight will take off on October 31 at 06.35 PM.
Inaugural fares for the Vijayawada-Sharjah sector are pegged at ₹13,669, while those for the Sharjah-Vijayawada ones begin at AED 399 onwards, the company said in a statement.
Flight on the route will be on Mondays and Saturdays.
Air India Express is India’s first international budget airline. It operates direct point-to-point services, connecting primarily Tier 2/ Tier 3 cities of the country with destinations in the Gulf and Middle East and South East Asia, with a fleet of 24 Boeing 737 – 800 NG aircraft in an all-economy configuration.
Currently, Air India Express is the only airline that offers international services in and out of Vijayawada.
In addition to Sharjah, Air India Express flies from Vijayawada to Muscat and Kuwait.
The availability of direct flights to the three locations will be beneficial for many residents of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Vishakhapatnam, Parvathipuram, Alluri Sitarama Raju, Anakapalle, Kakinada, East Godavari, West Godavari, Konaseema, Eluru, Krishna, NTR, Guntur, Bapatla, Palnadu, Prakasham, Sri Potti, and Sri Potti Ramulu who seek connectivity with the Middle Eastern nations, it said in a statement.
According to Aloke Singh, CEO, Air India Express, after Covid-19’s two arduous years, the India-Gulf aviation sector has seen a smart recovery, bouncing back to almost pre-Covid levels.
“For those travelling to UAE, particularly to Dubai and the Northern Emirates, the direct service to Sharjah will be a huge benefit, with a well-timed flight,” he said.