Strong demand suggests that India–UAE air travel will remain tight until regulators approve additional flight rights
Emirates airline is seeking relief from current seat-cap limits on flights between India and the United Arab Emirates, as demand continues to rise sharply. Speaking at the World Governments Summit in Dubai, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer Adnan Kazim confirmed that the airline is in discussions with regulators to increase capacity on India–UAE routes.
Under the existing bilateral air-services agreement, Emirates’ weekly seat allocation has remained largely unchanged for nearly a decade, despite strong growth in passenger numbers. Traffic on India routes has increased by around 40 per cent during this period, with many flights operating at near full capacity. Popular routes such as Dubai–Delhi regularly record load factors above 95 per cent, highlighting the pressure on available seats.
India has become one of Emirates’ most important markets, contributing about 11 per cent of the airline’s global network revenue. The airline believes that adding more seats would help reduce airfares, improve connectivity, and support the large Indian expatriate community in the UAE, which numbers over 3.5 million people.
Enhanced connectivity could also encourage further trade and investment, especially as Indian companies expand their presence in sectors such as energy, retail and technology across the Middle East
For businesses and corporate travellers, any increase in capacity would be welcome. Additional flights could ease the difficulty of securing tickets during peak periods and improve flexibility for project teams and crew rotations. Travel managers are advised to keep a close watch on the ongoing negotiations and consider early bookings for the second half of the year if new slots become available.
If discussions do not lead to an agreement, companies may explore alternatives such as flying via Abu Dhabi with Etihad or using low-cost carriers through Sharjah, although these options may involve longer ground transfers.
