Guwahati to get direct flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi from August 4: Himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday, June 22, announced that direct flights from Guwahati to Dubai and Abu Dhabi will commence from August 4, marking a significant boost to the state's international connectivity.

Sharing the development on social media platform X, Sarma said the new non-stop services, to be operated by Air India, would further strengthen Assam's links with the global community and enhance Guwahati's position as a major travel and transit hub for Southeast Asia.

"Opening new avenues to connect Assam to the global community! Just days after EU member states lifted their travel advisory for Assam, I am happy to share that from August 4, Air India will commence direct flights from Guwahati to Dubai and Abu Dhabi," Sarma wrote.

With the launch of the new routes, Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport will be directly connected to four countries — the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Singapore and Bhutan.

The Chief Minister also revealed that the State government is now working towards establishing direct air connectivity with Vietnam.

"My next goal is to commence direct services to Vietnam and I will keep you posted on that," he said.

The announcement comes days after Sarma welcomed the decision of European Union member states to revise their travel advisories and remove restrictive guidance for citizens travelling to Assam.

On June 20, the Chief Minister described the move as "encouraging news" and a strong vote of confidence in the State. He said the revision followed the recent visit of EU diplomats and would help deepen engagement between Assam and Europe.

According to Sarma, the decision is expected to strengthen tourism, business ties and people-to-people exchanges between Assam and European countries. He also expressed gratitude to Hervé Delphin, Ambassador of the European Union to India, and the Delegation of the European Union to India for their support in facilitating the development.