Air Arabia Abu Dhabi, a UAE-based low-cost carrier, is all set to start flight operations from the capital of UAE – Abu Dhabi to Kolkata from March 15. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) said this in a statement here on Thursday. The new service between Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport, Kolkata and Abu Dhabi International Airport will be available thrice a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, the statement said. According to the statement, the flight will depart from Abu Dhabi at 2.25 pm (local time) and reach Kolkata at 8.20 pm (local time) on all three days. The return flight will leave Kolkata at 9.05 pm (local time) and reach Abu Dhabi at 1.05 pm (local time) the same day. The airline will operate Airbus A320 aircraft on the route.
A press release shared by Air Arabia Abu Dhabi on its website said that Kolkata is the seventh destination for the airline in India after Cochin, Calicut, Trivandrum, Chennai, Mumbai and Ahmedabad.
The service will provide its customer base with more convenient and affordable opportunities for business, leisure and cultural exchange between the two countries, Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia, was quoted in the statement as saying.
Well, last month, an Air Arabia flight to Sharjah was grounded after a bird hit. Two eagles hit the left engine of the aircraft before take-off, forcing the aircraft to land in Coimbatore on Monday. The aircraft was overrunning the runway when the birds hit the engine.
One of the two eagles dies after hitting an engine blade. All 164 passengers ejected from the aircraft after the incident. In the last seven years, there have been three bird strikes on an average on airplanes taking off from Coimbatore, but this was the first time that all the passengers came out to see the damage.