Goa, 8th May 2025 – Goa proudly announces the commencement of scheduled international services to Abu Dhabi and Kuwait, operated by Air India Express. This milestone marks a significant step forward in enhancing the state’s international connectivity, providing greater travel options for tourists, business travelers, and the Goan diaspora, while opening new avenues for tourism, trade, and cultural exchange. The flight schedule for Goa to Kuwait is on Thursdays and Saturdays & for Goa to Abu Dhabi on Mondays and Tuesdays
With these new services, travelers from Kuwait and Abu Dhabi can now easily access Goa’s vast array of offerings — from pristine beaches, lush monsoon landscapes, and waterfalls to its distinctive culinary experiences, rich cultural heritage, and vibrant festivals. The launch underscores Manohar International Airport’s commitment to expanding Goa’s global reach and positioning the state as a sought-after international destination.
Shri Rohan A. Khaunte, Hon’ble Minister for Tourism, remarked “Goa’s international connectivity is about creating bridges between cultures, economies, and people. The launch of Air India Express’ direct flights from Kuwait and Abu Dhabi complements our efforts to attract quality tourism, strengthen the local economy, and establish Goa as a year-round destination. These flights will serve as a catalyst for economic development, cultural exchange, and deeper bilateral ties between Goa and these key international markets.” Speaking on the occasion, Shri. R.V. Sheshan, CEO & Director, GMR Goa International Airport Ltd., said “The launch of direct flights to Kuwait and Abu Dhabi is a landmark achievement for Manohar International Airport. These connections not only improve convenience for travelers but also reinforce Goa’s standing on the global aviation map. We are dedicated to ensuring seamless, world-class travel experiences that benefit both international visitors and the Goan community.”
Shri. Kedar Naik, Director of Tourism, Government of Goa, added “The enhanced connectivity provided by these new international flights aligns perfectly with Goa’s vision of promoting regenerative and sustainable tourism. We welcome travelers from Kuwait and Abu Dhabi to explore the unique charm of Goa — beyond its beaches — by immersing themselves in our heritage, hinterlands, festivals, and local communities. This is an important step towards positioning Goa as a globally competitive, culturally rich destination.”
With robust infrastructure, efficient e-Visa facilities, and a commitment to excellence, Manohar International Airport continues to play a pivotal role in driving Goa’s tourism growth, economic prosperity, and international standing.
Twice-daily flights between North Goa and Delhi, and daily services connecting North Goa with Bengaluru, Indore, and Chennai launched on April 15; Hyderabad route to commence May 3.
15-April-2025, Goa: Expanding its footprint in Goa, Air India Express has launched operations from Manohar International Airport (GOX) in North Goa, complementing its existing services at Goa International Airport (GOI). With operations now from both airports, the airline will operate over 115 weekly flights from Goa—including 75 from GOI and over 40 from GOX—offering travellers enhanced flexibility and improved access to North Goa, renowned for its pristine beaches, vibrant nightlife, bustling markets, and rich cultural heritage.
Effective April 15, 2025, Air India Express launched new services connecting North Goa with Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, and Indore, further strengthening domestic connectivity to the region. The airline now operates twice-daily flights to Delhi, daily flights to Bengaluru and Indore, and flights to Chennai on all days except Wednesdays. Services on the Hyderabad–North Goa route will commence on May 3, 2025. Expanding its international footprint from North Goa, Air India Express will also launch direct flights to Kuwait starting May 3, followed by services to Abu Dhabi from May 5, 2025.
To mark the commencement of Air India Express operations from North Goa, the airline and the airport operator hosted a celebratory event at Manohar International Airport. The event was attended by Siddhartha Butalia, Chief Marketing Officer, Air India Express; Shashi Chetia, Vice President – Network Planning, Air India Express; and Anand Ramachandran, Deputy CEO, Manohar International Airport, along with key airport stakeholders including representatives from CISF, Customs, and other operational partners. As part of the celebrations, a ceremonial boarding pass was presented to the first guest of the inaugural flight.
Schedule Effective 15th April 2025 (All timings are local)
Departure
Arrival
Departure Time
Arrival Time
Frequency
MOPA, North Goa
Delhi
14:45; 21:15
17:20; 23:50
2X Daily
Delhi
MOPA, North Goa
07:10; 18:10
09:45; 20:45
2X Daily
MOPA, North Goa
Indore
10:15
11:50
Daily
Indore
MOPA, North Goa
12:20
13:55
Daily
Bengaluru
MOPA, North Goa
06:25
07:45
Daily
MOPA, North Goa
Bengaluru
08:15
09:35
Daily
Chennai
MOPA, North Goa
16:40
18:20
Daily except Wednesday
MOPA, North Goa
Chennai
18:55
20:35
Daily except Wednesday
Schedule Effective 3rd May 2025 (All timings are local)
Hyderabad
MOPA, North Goa
14:35
16:00
Saturday
MOPA, North Goa
Kuwait
18:05
20:05
Saturday
Kuwait
MOPA, North Goa
21:05
04:05
Saturday
Schedule Effective 4th May 2025 (All timings are local)
MOPA, North Goa
Hyderabad
07:00
08:25
Sunday
Schedule Effective 5th May 2025 (All timings are local)
Hyderabad
MOPA, North Goa
10:25
11:50
Mon, Tue
MOPA, North Goa
Hyderabad
23:20
00:45
Mon, Tue
MOPA, North Goa
Abu Dhabi
13:15
15:20
Mon, Tue
Abu Dhabi
MOPA, North Goa
16:20
21:20
Mon, Tue
Schedule Effective 8th May 2025 (All timings are local)
Hyderabad
MOPA, North Goa
13:15
14:40
Thursday
MOPA, North Goa
Kuwait
16:40
18:40
Thursday
Kuwait
MOPA, North Goa
19:40
02:40
Thursday
Schedule Effective 9th May 2025 (All timings are local)
MOPA, North Goa
Hyderabad
04:40
06:05
Friday
Air India Express currently operates over 75 weekly flights from Goa International Airport (GOI), connecting key domestic destinations, including Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hindon, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Surat. alongside international services to Dubai. Complementing the extensive network, the airline’s ‘Xpress Holidays’ platform offers curated travel experiences, providing travellers with end-to-end packages that include flights, accommodation, transport, and immersive local experiences.
Air India Express became the first and only airline to operate from two airports in the National Capital Region, with the launch of services from Hindon, Ghaziabad, part of the National Capital Region. In addition to direct flights to Goa, the airline connects Hindon to Bhubaneswar, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Varanasi.
With a rapidly growing fleet, Air India Express recently welcomed its 100th aircraft, doubling its capacity in just two years. The airline operates over 500 daily flights across 55 destinations spanning India, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.
From Abu Dhabi: Air India Express operates 60 weekly flights from Abu Dhabi connecting directly to nine domestic destinations Bengaluru, Kannur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, Mumbai, North Goa, Thiruvananthapuram, and Tiruchirappalli. The airline also offers convenient one-stop itineraries connecting Abu Dhabi to 23 destinations in India: Amritsar, Ayodhya, Bagdogra, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Guwahati, Gwalior, Hindon, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kathmandu, Kolkata, Lucknow, Patna, Pune, Ranchi, Srinagar, Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair) Surat, and Varanasi.
From Bengaluru: Air India Express operates more than 460 weekly flights from Bengaluru connecting directly to 31 domestic destinations: Amritsar, Ayodhya, Bagdogra, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Guwahati, Gwalior, Hindon, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kannur, Kochi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mangaluru, Mumbai, North Goa, Patna, Pune, Ranchi, Srinagar, Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair), Surat, Thiruvananthapuram, Tiruchirappalli, Varanasi, and Visakhapatnam and two international destinations including Abu Dhabi and Dammam. The airline also offers convenient one-stop itineraries connecting Bengaluru to six domestic destinations including Agartala, Dibrugarh, Dimapur, Imphal, Jammu, and Vijayawada and 14 international destinations including AI Ain, Bahrain, Bangkok, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait, Muscat, Phuket, Ra al Khaimah, Riyadh, Salalah, Sharjah, and Singapore.
From Chennai: Air India Express operates over 130 weekly flights from Chennai connecting directly to 18 domestic destinations: Bagdogra, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Goa, Guwahati, Hindon, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, Mangaluru, North Goa, Patna, Pune, Sri Vijaya Puram, Surat, Tiruchirappalli, and Varanasi and four international destinations including Dammam, Kuwait, Muscat, and Singapore. The airline also offers one-stop itineraries connecting Chennai to 17 domestic destinations including Agartala, Amritsar, Ayodhya, Delhi, Dibrugarh, Dimapur, Gwalior, Imphal, Indore, Jammu, Kozhikode, Lucknow, Mumbai, Ranchi, Srinagar, Thiruvananthapuram, Vijayawada, and Visakhapatnam and nine international destinations including Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Bangkok, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Phuket, Riyadh, and Sharjah.
From Delhi: Air India Express operates 350 weekly flights from Delhi connecting directly to 21 domestic destinations including Amritsar, Ayodhya, Bagdogra, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Goa, Guwahati, Indore, Jaipur, Jammu, Kochi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mangaluru, Mumbai, North Goa, Patna, Pune, Ranchi, Srinagar, Surat, and Varanasi and four international destinations: Bahrain, Dammam, Muscat, and Sharjah. Additionally, the airline provides one-stop connectivity to 12 domestic destinations: Agartala, Chennai, Dibrugarh, Dimapur, Hyderabad, Imphal, Kannur, Kozhikode, Sri Vijaya Puram Thiruvananthapuram, Tiruchirappalli, and Visakhapatnam and nine international destinations: Abu Dhabi, Bangkok, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait, Ras al Khaimah, and Salalah.
From Hyderabad: Air India Express operates more than 250 weekly flights from Hyderabad connecting directly to 25 domestic destinations including Bagdogra, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Guwahati, Indore, Jaipur, Kannur, Kochi, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Lucknow, Mangaluru, North Goa, Patna, Pune, Ranchi, Srinagar, Surat, Thiruvananthapuram, Varanasi, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and three international destinations: Jeddah, Phuket, and Riyadh . Additionally, the airline provides one-stop connectivity to 12 domestic destinations: Agartala, Amritsar, Ayodhya, Dibrugarh, Dimapur, Gwalior, Hindon, Imphal, Jammu, Mumbai, Sri Vijaya Puram, and Tiruchirappalli and 12 international destinations: Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Bangkok, Dammam, Doha, Dubai, Kuwait, Muscat, Salalah, Sharjah, and Singapore.
From Indore: Air India Express operates 55 weekly flights from Indore connecting directly to six domestic destinations including Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, North Goa, and Pune and internationally to Sharjah. Additionally, the airline provides one-stop connectivity to 24 domestic destinations: Amritsar, Ayodhya, Bagdogra, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Goa, Guwahati, Hindon, Jammu, Kannur, Kochi, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Lucknow, Mangaluru, Mumbai, Patna, Ranchi, Srinagar, Surat, Thiruvananthapuram, Tiruchirappalli, Varanasi, and Visakhapatnam and six international destinations: Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dammam, Jeddah, Kuwait, Muscat, and Phuket.
From Kuwait: Air India Express operates more than 20 weekly flights from Kuwait connecting directly to seven destinations in India, including Chennai, Kannur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, North Goa, and Tiruchirappalli. Additionally, the airline provides one-stop connectivity to 14 one-stop domestic destinations: Bagdogra, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Delhi, Guwahati, Hindon, Hyderabad, Indore, Kolkata, Patna, Port Blair, Pune, Thiruvananthapuram, and Varanasi.
From South Goa (GOI): Air India Express operates 75 weekly flights from Goa connecting directly to eight domestic destinations including Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hindon, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Surat and internationally to Dubai. Additionally, the airline provides one-stop connectivity to 22 domestic destinations: Amritsar, Ayodhya, Bagdogra, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati, Gwalior, Indore, Jaipur, Kannur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Lucknow, Mangaluru, Patna, Pune, Ranchi, Srinagar, Sri Vijaya Puram, Thiruvananthapuram, Tiruchirappalli, Varanasi, and Visakhapatnam, and eight international destinations: Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dammam, Muscat, Sharjah, and Singapore.
Air India Express is a Tata Enterprise and a subsidiary of Air India, operating over 500 daily flights, connecting 39 domestic and 17 international airports, with a fleet of 110 aircraft, comprising 70 Boeing 737s and 40 Airbus A320s. Air India Express invites guests with the proposition to ‘Fly As You Are’, using thoughtfully considered technology to enable flyers to personalise their travel experience. The airline offers ‘Gourmair’ hot meals, comfortable seats, and a host of exclusive loyalty benefits with a sense of unique Indian warmth, and an award-winning digital experience on its mobile app and website, airindiaexpress.com.
