Minister of Economy discusses enhancing bilateral cooperation in civil aviation with India’s Minister of Civil Aviation

HYDERABAD, 30th January, 2026 (WAM) — Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), held discussions with Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu, Minister of Civil Aviation of India, on ways to enhance joint cooperation in the civil aviation sector and further develop the bilateral partnership in support of economic and investment growth between the two countries.

The discussions took place during a bilateral meeting held on the sidelines of Abdulla bin Touq’s participation in the “Wings of India 2026” Conference, held in Hyderabad, India.

During the meeting, both sides highlighted the strength of UAE–India relations and their continued development across various fields, particularly in the economic and tourism sectors. This progress has been directly reflected in the steady growth of air transport activity and travel volumes between the two countries.

Bin Touq noted that air traffic between the UAE and India continues to witness strong momentum, with approximately 1,231 direct flights operating weekly between cities in both countries, operated by national carriers on both sides. This reflects the high level of demand and the strength of air connectivity between the two nations.

He added, “India accounted for the largest share of visitors to the UAE, making up 14% of all international arrivals. This reflects the UAE’s strong standing in the Indian market and underscores the depth of tourism and economic ties between the two countries, as well as the success of the UAE’s flexible national tourism policies in attracting visitors from this vital market.”

He further explained that this momentum in the aviation and tourism sectors is a natural outcome of the strong economic partnership between the UAE and India, stressing the importance of continuing coordination and joint cooperation to support the growth of travel movement and enhance air connectivity in a manner that serves the interests of both countries and their peoples.

The meeting comes as part of the mutual keenness to expand areas of cooperation in the aviation sector, in line with the rapid growth of bilateral relations, and to support economic development while enhancing air transport and travel between the two countries.