As Fly Dubai 737-800 Boeing touched down on the tarmac at Lucknow airport in the early hours of Thursday, it wrote a new chapter in the history of the two-year old carrier.
It marked the airline's first link with India.
Fly Dubai is looking at 20 other Indian destinations, including all the metro cities, subject to official approval.
The airline has its reasons for choosing Lucknow as its first Indian destination.
"We decided on Lucknow as our first Indian destination as it has market potential and we felt there were less number of flights connecting the city," Flydubai's CEO, Ghaith Al Ghaith, said at a conference call in the presence of the United Arab Emirates' ambassador to India, Mohamed Sultan Al Owais.
"Bilateral non-oil trade between India and the UAE was worth $48 billion. Therefore, increasing the transport links between India and the UAE can only help to strengthen the economic and commercial ties between the two countries," Ghaith said.
He hoped to connect several other Indian cities with the airline soon.
Claiming that the flight would provide low-cost travel, he quoted Rs 6,300 as the one-way price for the journey . "However, a passenger would have to pay for food as well as check-in baggage", he said.
According to him, "The airline allows 10-kg hand baggage and for a single piece check-in baggage upto 32 kg, an additional charge of Rs 750 would be payable."
The flights would operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, departing from Lucknow at 02.35 hours and arriving at Dubai at 05.20 hours (local time) .
The return flight from Dubai would operate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, leaving Dubai at 20.30 hours and landing in Lucknow at 01.50 hours.
An estimated five million Indian expatriates live and work in the Gulf, with about a million in the UAE alone.
Commenting on the aviation infrastructure in India, Ghaith noted India had done incredibly well in the last few years.
"The infrastructure in India has improved. More airports are coming and better services are being provided. The country deserves to be in the league of China and Russia."
Fly Dubai commenced operations in June 2009. It has eight aircraft and connects 17 international destinations.
The company plans a fleet of 50 planes by 2016.
(With additional inputs from Business Standard)
