Budget carrier IndiGo announces direct flights from Fujairah to 2 Indian cities, including Kerala

Fujairah: Indian budget airline IndiGo is set to further expand its footprint in the UAE by launching new daily direct flights to Fujairah from Mumbai and Kannur, India, effective May 15. This announcement marks Fujairah as IndiGo’s fifth destination in the UAE and its 41st international addition, solidifying its growing presence in the Middle East.

The new routes will offer daily direct flights, catering to the increasing demand for travel between India and the eastern coast of the UAE, the airline said in a statement.

IndiGo will also provide dedicated bus services to and from Dubai and Sharjah passengers. This strategic move complements the airline’s existing services to Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, and Ras Al Khaimah, providing travellers with a wider range of options to access various parts of the UAE.

Vinay Malhotra, Head of Global Sales at IndiGo, said, “As our 41st international destination and fifth in the UAE (we already fly to Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah), these new flights will further enhance regional connectivity.”

Early Friday, the Indian low-cost carrier announced an expansion of its wide-body aircraft strategy, adding two more Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners from Norse Atlantic Airways to its existing damp-lease agreement. This follows an initial contract for four aircraft of the same type from the Norwegian airline.

The airline confirmed earlier today that the two additional B787-9s are anticipated to join IndiGo’s operational network by early 2026.

The damp-lease agreement for these aircraft will initially run for six months, with a potential extension of up to 18 months, contingent upon regulatory approvals.

Norse Atlantic Airways currently has one B787-9 (registration LN-FNC) operating for IndiGo since March 1, 2025. An additional three B787-9 aircraft from Norse are slated for deployment on IndiGo’s routes in the latter half of 2025.

This move comes from IndiGo’s recent announcement of new services from India to Manchester and Amsterdam Schiphol, scheduled to commence in July 2025. These routes are part of the airline’s ambition to connect the Indian market with key European destinations. IndiGo intends to utilize the Norse Atlantic Airways’ aircraft on these longer-haul routes as an interim solution, eventually replacing them with its own fleet of Airbus A350-900s. The airline has 30 wide-body A350-900 aircraft on order from Airbus, with the first delivery expected in 2027.

Despite these ambitious expansion plans into Europe, IndiGo has yet to finalise and announce its services' specific schedules and commencement dates to Manchester and Amsterdam.