Air India’s first international flight to Dubai takes off from Devi Ahilyabai Holkar International Airport, Indore, around 4:48 pm on Monday and landed at Dubai airport at 7:15 pm. The special flight got a water cannon salute before its departure from the airport. Pilot Suneesh Bhargava, who also hails from Indore city, was the Captain of flight. Earlier, Member of Parliament (Indore) Shankar Lalwani flagged off the non-stop 162-seater (A320 Neo aircraft) flight in presence of former Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, CMD (Air India) Ashwini Lohani and Mayor of Indore Malini Gaur.

 

 

 

On departure of maiden flight, a one hour special programme was organised between 3:40 pm and 4:40 pm. To make this moment historic, special programmes were organised and passengers were given farewell in a ‘Malwi’ tradition by presenting turbans as well as sweets were offered to them. A red carpet welcome was accorded to the passengers flying in this maiden international flight. Similarly, when the first flight from Dubai will land at Indore airport at 12:30 am of July 16, the passengers would be welcomed in a similar manner. There are 150 economy and 12 business class seats in the aircraft which were full on Monday when the flight departed and same is the status of next days flights. The starting fares are Rs 18,700 (return fare) on economy and the return fare for the business class will be Rs 42,000.

 

 

Speaking on the occasion, MP Shankar Lalwani said, “The non-stop flight will fulfill a long-standing desire from the travel fraternity and tourists for direct connectivity to the Gulf. This is the first time in 71 years since starting of flight services in Indore when any international flight started operational from here and 12 years long efforts to get international tag for Indore’s airport yielded result today.”