Pune (Maharashtra) [India], December 3 : Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol on Wednesday announced that Air India Express has launched a direct flight service from Pune to Abu Dhabi.
Taking it to X, he noted, "Another milestone for Pune Airport!...Air India Express has launched its direct Pune-Abu Dhabi flight service starting today, marking a significant expansion in the city's global connectivity..."
He also pointed out that the new flight route expands travel and trade opportunities while putting Pune on the global aviation map.
"This new route not only strengthens Pune's presence on the international aviation map but also opens up fresh opportunities for travel, trade, investment, and cultural exchange..." he wrote on X.
"With enhanced accessibility to the Middle East, this service is set to benefit thousands of passengers and further boost Pune's growing international footprint," he added.
Meanwhile, Air India Express on Saturday said it had completed safety checks on most of its fleet, with the remaining checks to be completed soon.
The airline worked with Airbus and authorities to minimise disruptions, prioritising passenger safety. Operations are expected to return to normal once the checks are complete.
In a statement, an Air India Express spokesperson said, "We have completed the precautionary safety actions on the majority of our Airbus A320 fleet, with the remaining aircraft on track for completion within the advised timeline. This has been achieved with minimal impact on operations through the coordinated efforts of our engineering, operations, and flight safety teams. Air India Express continues to work closely with Airbus and the relevant authorities, reaffirming our commitment to safe and reliable operations."
Earlier, Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury on Saturday apologised to customers and passengers affected by delays caused by a required fix on some A320 aircraft.
"The fix required on some #A320 aircraft has been causing significant logistical challenges and delays since yesterday. I want to sincerely apologise to our airline customers and passengers who are impacted now. But we consider that nothing is more important than safety when people fly on one of our Airbus Aircraft, like millions do every day. Our teams are working around the clock to support our operators and ensure these updates are deployed as swiftly as possible to get planes back in the sky and resume normal operations, with the safety assurance you expect from #Airbus," the CEO of Airbus said in a statement posted on X by the Airbus newsroom.