Schedule of AI flight from Dubai to Indore evokes tepid response

Wednesday, September 15, 2021

Though Air India’s international flight to Dubai is witnessing almost full occupancy from Indore, it is having poor occupancy in return trip, apparently due to weekly operation of the flight.

The airline resumed operation of Indore-Dubai-Indore international flight from September 1. “In the last two operations, the flight, which comes from Bangalore to Indore and then goes to Dubai, had 90 to 95 per cent occupancy at the time of departure. However, in its return journey from Dubai to Indore, more than 50 per cent seats were vacant,” said an official with the airline.

Travel agents claimed that most of the passengers are travelling in the flight for tourism purposes.

“People, especially tourists, do not prefer spending more than four days in Dubai. Whereas the flight operates for only once a week. This leaves them with no other option but to take a connecting flight via Mumbai or Delhi instead of waiting for a week there to return in the direct flight to Indore,” said a travel agent.

The agents suggested that increase in days of operation would be a solution to this and would increase convenience for passengers. Members of travel agents association and public representatives have also raised a demand in this regard citing the same reason.

“Before the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, the airline used to operate this flight three days a week — Monday, Wednesday and Saturday — which was a convenient option for passengers and tourists,” said Madhya Pradesh travel agents association chairman Hemendra Singh Jadon.

He added that they had already submitted their demand and expected a positive response from the airline.
Indore airport officiating director Prabodh Sharma said that Indore-Dubai international flight had received good response from passengers. “We are expecting the airline to increase the frequency of the fight in the coming days,” he said.

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