Dubai, Nov 17 (IANS): Air Arabia Abu Dhabi, the UAEs newest budget carrier and the first out of capital Abu Dhabi, has announced a new service to New Delhi starting November 24.

Travellers from the UAE will now be able to fly direct to the Indian capital four times a week with scheduled flights to depart Abu Dhabi every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday at 10.35 am, arriving in Delhi at 3.20 pm Indian Standard Time (IST).

The return flights will depart Delhi on the same days at 4 pm IST and arrive back in the UAE capital at 6.40 pm UAE time.

Long-time Indian expats living in the UAE said that this announcement has come at the right time with the UAE in the midst of a festive season.

"This new service means more options for people like us while planning our travel to and back in a busy holiday period," said long-time Dubai resident Kritika Mathur, whose extended family lives in Delhi.

Another Indian resident said that he hoped the new service will help keep airfares low during the upcoming holiday season.

"We were planning a visit this winter break and I think this new flight will give me more room to choose, especially while returning with my family members, who are also keen to see Expo 2020 Dubai," said Partho Mondal, also a Delhi resident, who lives and works in Abu Dhabi.

The new service has sprung hope among many other Indian expats from Delhi's neighbouring cities and states.

"For years, we have struggled to find the right flight and often had to fly via Lucknow because of expensive tickets to Delhi at peak seasons. We hope to reach our home quicker using this service," said Faisal Javed, who hails from Aligarh, about 160 km from Delhi.

Customers can book their direct flights between Abu Dhabi and Delhi by visiting Air Arabia's website, by calling the call centre or through travel agencies.

With services to Cochin, Calicut and Trivandrum, this will be the 16th route for Air Arabia Abu Dhabi since the launch of the carrier's service from the Abu Dhabi International Airport last July.