Tata-owned low-cost carrier Air India Express (AIX) has launched a five-day promotional blitz offering one-way base fares from AED 320 (≈ ₹7,200) on high-traffic routes between the United Arab Emirates and 15 Indian cities. Bookings opened on 1 February and run until 5 February for travel through 31 December 2026, covering more than five million seats.
The discount comes as bilateral traffic between India and the Gulf nears pre-pandemic peaks, driven by 3.5 million Indian expatriates in the UAE. Lite fares exclude checked baggage but allow passengers to add 20 kg later at a discounted ₹2,500. Customers booking via the airline’s website or app pay zero convenience fees and can change dates once for free.
For corporate mobility programmes, the sale offers substantial cost savings on project rotations, especially for construction, IT-services and healthcare firms that shuttle staff between Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Tier-2 Indian cities now served by AIX’s growing Boeing 737 MAX fleet. Travel managers should, however, factor baggage add-ons and peak-season blackout dates into total-trip budgets.
![Air India Express slashes Gulf-India fares to under AED 320 in year-long ‘Xpress More’ sale]()
Whether you’re an expatriate worker returning home or a company moving project teams, securing the right visas remains critical. VisaHQ can simplify that task: through its online portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/), UAE residents can obtain Indian e-visas in just a few clicks, while travellers from India can arrange UAE tourist and transit permits just as easily. The platform’s real-time status updates and corporate management tools let you lock in these low fares now and handle the paperwork efficiently, reducing the risk of last-minute travel disruptions.
AIX says early demand is “robust”, with Kochi–Dubai and Kozhikode–Sharjah sectors 60 percent sold within 24 hours. The airline plans similar promotions for Oman, Bahrain and Qatar later this quarter as it targets a 25 percent jump in international passenger numbers this fiscal year.
The fare war is likely to pressure rivals such as IndiGo and flydubai, which currently command a 50 percent share of Gulf–India traffic. Analysts expect short-term margin compression but note that aggressive pricing could accelerate the shift from informal labour brokers to direct online bookings, improving compliance and duty-of-care visibility for employers.
The discount comes as bilateral traffic between India and the Gulf nears pre-pandemic peaks, driven by 3.5 million Indian expatriates in the UAE. Lite fares exclude checked baggage but allow passengers to add 20 kg later at a discounted ₹2,500. Customers booking via the airline’s website or app pay zero convenience fees and can change dates once for free.
For corporate mobility programmes, the sale offers substantial cost savings on project rotations, especially for construction, IT-services and healthcare firms that shuttle staff between Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Tier-2 Indian cities now served by AIX’s growing Boeing 737 MAX fleet. Travel managers should, however, factor baggage add-ons and peak-season blackout dates into total-trip budgets.
Whether you’re an expatriate worker returning home or a company moving project teams, securing the right visas remains critical. VisaHQ can simplify that task: through its online portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/), UAE residents can obtain Indian e-visas in just a few clicks, while travellers from India can arrange UAE tourist and transit permits just as easily. The platform’s real-time status updates and corporate management tools let you lock in these low fares now and handle the paperwork efficiently, reducing the risk of last-minute travel disruptions.
AIX says early demand is “robust”, with Kochi–Dubai and Kozhikode–Sharjah sectors 60 percent sold within 24 hours. The airline plans similar promotions for Oman, Bahrain and Qatar later this quarter as it targets a 25 percent jump in international passenger numbers this fiscal year.
The fare war is likely to pressure rivals such as IndiGo and flydubai, which currently command a 50 percent share of Gulf–India traffic. Analysts expect short-term margin compression but note that aggressive pricing could accelerate the shift from informal labour brokers to direct online bookings, improving compliance and duty-of-care visibility for employers.
