Mr. Abdullah bin Tuk Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), discussed with Mr. Ranmohan Naidu Kinjarap, Minister of Civil Aviation of India, ways to strengthen joint cooperation in the field of civil aviation and further develop the bilateral partnership to support economic and investment growth between the two countries.
The discussion took place at a bilateral meeting held on the sidelines of Abdullah bin Touk’s participation in the Wings of India 2026 conference in Hyderabad, India.
During the meeting, both sides emphasized the strength of the UAE-India relationship and the continued development of ties in various fields, especially in the economic and tourism sectors. This progress is directly reflected in the steady increase in air transport activity and travel volumes between the two countries.
Bin Tuk noted that air traffic between the UAE and India continues to show strong momentum, with approximately 1,231 direct flights weekly between cities in the two countries, operated by both national airlines. This reflects high demand and the strength of air connectivity between the two countries.
He further added, “India accounted for the largest share of visitors to the UAE, accounting for 14% of all international visitors. This reflects the UAE’s strong position in the Indian market and confirms the depth of tourism and economic ties between our two countries, as well as the success of the UAE’s flexible national tourism policy in attracting visitors from this important market.”
He further explained that this momentum in the aviation and tourism sector is a natural outcome of the strong economic partnership between the UAE and India, stressing the importance of continued coordination and joint cooperation to support the growth of travel mobility and strengthen air connectivity in the interests of both countries and their peoples.
The meeting took place as part of a mutual ambition to expand areas of cooperation in aviation in line with the rapid growth of bilateral relations and to support economic development while enhancing air transport and travel between the two countries.

