A recent study by Tourism Economics warns that up to 27 % of projected air travel demand between India and the UAE could remain unmet by 2035 if current flight and seat capacity limits continue. This shortfall—equivalent to about 54.5 million passenger journeys between 2026 and 2035—is driven by rapidly growing demand, with India’s “travelling class” expanding significantly and annual demand expected to rise around 7.2 % through 2035. The Abu Dhabi–India route faces particularly severe constraints, with an estimated 13.2 million unmet journeys.
