Vistara Airlines Set To Launch Two Routes To Sharjah

Vistara is launching two new routes to Sharjah, UAE, expanding its presence in the country. The carrier plans to add flights from Delhi and Mumbai starting this week, in addition to its services to Dubai. Let’s find out more about these new flights and why Vistara is focusing on the Middle East.

Vistara officially inaugurated its first route to Sharjah yesterday, flying from New Delhi. Later this week, on January 24th, the airline will also begin operating its Mumbai-Sharjah route. Notably, both routes will operate every day, even more than Vistara’s current flights to Dubai (which are four-times-weekly).

Sharjah is the third-most populous city in the UAE and less than an hour away from the bustling Dubai. The city is home to over a million expatriates, many of whom are from India, making the city a prime market for both business and leisure travel. The last year has seen extremely high demand for flights between the Middle East and India as many expatriates return to or leave countries.

While Sharjah may have strong demand, it also comes with tough competition. Air India Express, a major operator to the Middle East, flies to Sharjah from 11 cities across India, including Delhi and Mumbai, giving it favorable connectivity. Additionally, IndiGo, GoAir, and Air Arabia also operate flights to Sharjah. Clearly, there is no shortage of competition on this route.

As mentioned, Vistara will operate one daily service each from Delhi and Mumbai to Sharjah, starting from this week. 

As international travel remains highly restricted due to the border closures, airlines have focused on routes from India to the Middle East. India currently has travel bubble agreements with several countries in the region (UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and more), allowing for flights to operate relatively normally.