Air India to start direct flights from Guwahati to Dubai and Abu Dhabi in August

Air India will start direct flights from Guwahati to Dubai and Abu Dhabi from August 4, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Monday.

Announcing the development in a post on X, the Chief Minister said the new non-stop services will strengthen Assam’s links with the global community and enhance Guwahati’s position as a major travel and transit hub for Southeast Asia.

With these new direct flights to the UAE, Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati will now be connected internationally to four countries: the UAE, Thailand, Singapore, and Bhutan.

Himanta Biswa Sarma also said that the state government is planning to start direct flights between Guwahati and Vietnam soon. This announcement comes just days after European Union (EU) member states updated their travel advisories and lifted restrictions for citizens traveling to Assam.

On June 20, Sarma called this “encouraging news for Assam,” pointing out that after Australia and Japan, EU member states have also relaxed their travel advisories for the state. He said this change came after EU diplomats recently visited Assam and shows growing international confidence in the state’s safety, stability, and development.

The Chief Minister said the updated advisories should help boost tourism, business, and exchanges between Assam and European countries. He also thanked the European Union Ambassador to India, Hervé Delphin, for his support in making this happen.

These changes are expected to give a big boost to Assam’s tourism, trade, and investment, and further establish Guwahati as a gateway to Southeast Asia.