Air India Express to operate daily flights between Surat and Sharjah from the summer of 2023

Surat (Gujarat): There is good news for international travellers, particularly diamantaires and textile merchants travelling to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the diamond and textile business. Air India Express, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the national carrier Air India, will begin daily service between Surat and Sharjah during the summer of 2023.

Air India Express is operating Surat to Sharjah flight for three days a week from Surat airport. The airline management has submitted an application to the airport authorities demanding slots at Surat airport for the smooth operation of the flight service in the summer of 2023.

Sources said the Air India Express is operating Surat-Sharjah flights on Monday, Thursday and Saturday in a week. About 2,200 passenger travel from Surat to Sharjah per month.

The Airport Authority of India (AAI) recently declared Surat airport as the international airport. The daily flights between Surat and Sharjah are set to increase tourism and bilateral trade in textile, diamonds, horticulture and other businesses.

The AAI has stated that the ongoing expansion of the terminal building at Surat international airport is scheduled for completion on March 31, 2023.

Sharjah is the gateway to Dubai and Abu Dhabi—considered the important centres for diamond and textile trading in the world. The majority of the diamantaires in Surat are having offices in the free zone of the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC). Dubai dethroned Antwerp as the largest exporter of rough diamonds in 2021-22.

The rough diamond exports surged 98% year on year to $12.96 billion in 2021 and jumped 62% versus 2019’s figure from the DMCC.