Vistara is launching a new route to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with the addition of flights to Abu Dhabi International (AUH).

The airline, a joint venture between Tata Group and Singapore Airlines, will begin service from Mumbai (BOM) on Oct. 1. Frequencies will be daily, and the route will be operated using Airbus A320neo aircraft.

“We are confident that greater connectivity between Mumbai and Abu Dhabi will complement the growing trade and tourism between the two countries,” Vistara CEO Vinod Kannan said.

The full-service airline already flies to the UAE, offering daily service between Mumbai and Dubai International (DXB) onboard A321s.

OAG data shows that Vistara opened the BOM-DXB route in August 2019, operating until the onset of the pandemic in March 2020. Flights resumed in August 2020 and continued until December before being suspended until March 2022.

In recent years, the airline has also operated routes from both Delhi and Mumbai to Sharjah (SHJ), as well as between Delhi and Dubai.

On the Mumbai-Abu Dhabi sector, Vistara will face direct competition with five other carriers. Etihad Airways served the route double-daily, while Air Arabia Abu Dhabi, Air India, Go First and IndiGo each provide daily flights.

Overall two-way capacity between the destinations for the week commencing Aug. 22 is 19,166 two-way seats. This compares with 20,300 at this time in 2019.