Kolkata has re-established direct flight operations with Abu Dhabi after three years. The COVID-19 outbreak had snapped the air connectivity between the cities until now.
An aircraft from Air Arabia Abu Dhabi, which is the UAE‘s low-cost carrier, landed at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in the city on March 15. The flight will operate three days a week — Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
All you need to know about the flight connecting Kolkata to Abu Dhabi
The flight will depart from Abu Dhabi at 2:25 pm (local time) and reach Kolkata at 8:20 pm (IST). From Kolkata, the flight will depart at 9:05 pm (IST), reaching Abu Dhabi at 1:05 am (local time). According to Telegraph, the airline is using an Airbus A-320 for the journey, which has all economy seats.
An Air Arabia Abu Dhabi official told Telegraph, “We are getting a good response. The bookings are good for the coming days and we are expecting a further rise in demands during the summer vacation times.” According to reports, another UAE-based airline Etihad Airways will also begin its service later this month, on March 26.
Kolkata has flights to two other destinations in the Middle East, namely Dubai and Doha. Apart from this, the Kolkata International Airport has flights to destinations such as Phuket, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Dhaka, Hanoi, and Yangon, to name a few.
This flight route from Kolkata to Abu Dhabi (and back) is important as it indicates a slow but steady return to the pre-pandemic times in terms of travel and connectivity. In the domestic sector, too, Kolkata may see a rise in connectivity, as budget airline Akasa Air is planning to launch service to Bengaluru and Guwahati from the West Bengal capital.
Hero and Featured Image credit: Kamil Rogalinski/Unsplash
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Anushka Goel
Digital Features Writer
Anushka has previously worked with publications such as the Times of India and Being Indian. A graduate from Xavier Institute of Communications, she specialises in entertainment, food and travel. She also likes to write about sustainability and beauty. When not working, you can catch her reading a book, tending to her plants, cooking or playing an instrument.
