• ADAC welcomes new Air India Express route to Northern India

Abu Dhabi, UAE, 7 September 2009: Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) welcomed the National Aviation Company of India Limited (NACIL)’s new Air India Express direct route to Amritsar in the north of the country. This new route launch increases Abu Dhabi’s already strong connectivity to the Indian subcontinent and is set to better serve the large Indian expatriate community in the Emirate.

Air India Express aircraft

The route will be served three times per week with a B737-800 aircraft configured in an all economy cabin. The aircraft will arrive at Abu Dhabi International Airport at 21:25 every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday and depart again at 22:20 on the same day. The flights will continue on to Delhi after Amritsar, thus increasing the number of services between Abu Dhabi and Delhi offered by Air India Express and Air India to six per week. Since the airline first started flying to the UAE capital four years ago, it has experienced organic growth and high demand for services to India, which has led the airline to increase frequencies and launch new routes.

Air India Express is the low cost airline subsidiary of Air India, which operates from its base at Cochin International Airport. Air India and Air India Express now connect Abu Dhabi with nine destinations in India with 36 weekly flights, and a weekly service from Kochi and Kozhikode to Al Ain International Airport, the Emirates second largest airport and a low cost carrier hub for the region.

ِAhmad Al Haddabi, Senior Vice President of Airport Operations at ADAC, said:

"ADAC is delighted to offer its customers greater connectivity and to be part of the growth of our long standing airline customer. India is one of our largest markets and passenger traffic is increasing every month, showing that there is strong demand for this service.

"ADAC is extremely pleased to support the growth of another low cost carrier at Abu Dhabi International Airport, giving our passengers even more reach and options for travel."

Amritsar is a bustling city with a distinct ‘frontier’ character. The city sits close to the India-Pakistan border and is home to the famous Harmandir Sahib Gurdwara, or Golden Temple, which is the most sacred religious site for Sikhs.

-ENDS-

About Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC):
Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) is a public joint-stock company wholly owned by the Abu Dhabi Government. It was incorporated by Amiri Decree number 5, issued on 4th March 2006, to spearhead the development of the Emirate's aviation infrastructure.

In September 2006 ADAC took over responsibility for the operation and management of Abu Dhabi and Al Ain international Airports. In 2008, ADAC added Al Bateen private jet airport, formerly Al Bateen military airbase, and Sir Baniyas Island Airport to its portfolio. These airports all serve different segments of the marketplace and help contribute to Abu Dhabi’s development as a destination for both business and leisure tourism.

Currently under way is the large scale AED 25 (US $6.8) billion re-development and expansion of Abu Dhabi International Airport designed to increase the overall capacity of the airport to more than 20 million passengers per year. As part of this redevelopment, a second runway and a third terminal have been completed. A new ATC tower and the Midfield Terminal Complex will complete the redevelopment within the next few years.

For more information please visit the ADAC Media Centre at www.adacmediacentre.com

Press Office, ADAC – Abu Dhabi Airports Company 
P.O. Box:       94449, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E
Telephone:    +971 2   505 3431
Fax:                +971 2   575 8300
Mobile:           +971 50 2205188
E-mail:           adac@fourcommunications.com
Website:        www.adac.ae 
Time Zone:   GMT/UTC +4