)
Runway upgrading at Dubai International Airport from May 1 will mean IndiGo reducing some of its flights there and to Jet Airways shifting some of its flights to Sharjah.
There are around 400 flights a week between India and Dubai. The airline with the largest number of flights on this route, 185, is Emirates. Barring a couple of cancellations and a schedule change, Emirates’ operations between India and Dubai would be largely unaffected.
“We currently operate 56 weekly flights from six cities to Dubai, which will reduce to 37 weekly flights from six cities,” said an IndiGo spokesperson.
Jet said it would operate some flights to Sharjah instead of Dubai with a revised timing during May 1-July 20. The airline said there were no cancellations to any listed flights due to this temporary shift to Sharjah. This includes two flights from Mumbai and a flight each from Mangalore and Delhi. In the case of Mumbai, flights the revised schedule applies only to certain days of the week. Air India and SpiceJet did not respond to a query on the issue.
“Emirates has been working closely with Dubai Airports and all stakeholders in preparation for the upgrading and we have adjusted our operations accordingly for the period,” the airline spokesperson said. The timing of a late evening Dubai-Mumbai-Dubai flight has been changed and two flights cancelled but the airline did not give details.
Travel sector sources say no change in India-Dubai fares have been announced due to curtailed operations. Dubai is the busiest route in the Gulf for Indian carriers, which operate around 220 flights a week. India is also the number one market for Dubai airport, with a little over 800,000 passengers last year.
On Sunday, the Dubai airport announced the upgrade work would last 80 days, during which the runways would be closed alternately. The project involves resurfacing the entire 4,000-metre northern runway, nearing the end of its design life, as well as the upgrading of runway lighting and construction of additional taxiways and rapid exits on the southern runway.
Flight movements at Dubai will be curtailed by 26 per cent while flight movements at its newer airport, Dubai World Central, are set to increase. Seven airlines that currently operate into Dubai International have reserved slots to operate into Dubai's second airport during the 80-day period. A little more than 300 flights a week are expected to depart from Dubai's second airport during this period.
The curtailment of operations at Dubai airport coincides with the opening of Hamad International Airport in Doha, which enhances the capacity of Qatar Airways' main hub. Ten airlines will be shifting to the new airport in Doha from April 30, according to a circular issued by Qatar Civil Aviation Authority.
