Dubai International Airport welcomes Air India’s first 787 Dreamliner from Kochi

The flight arrives at Dubai International Airport with a water cannon salute. Courtesy Dubai Airports

DUBAI // Dubai International Airport welcomed Air India’s first Boeing 787 Dreamliner from Kochi on Wednesday afternoon with a traditional water salute.

The plane had arrived from the South Indian city in Kerala state. Its crew and representatives of the airline were also welcomed at a cake-cutting ceremony at the airport’s Concourse D.

The flight, which is expected to operate daily, is Air India’s second Dreamliner service connecting India and Dubai. The carrier already operates a Dreamliner on the Delhi-Dubai route.

India’s national carrier is one of seven airlines that connect Dubai to 19 destinations across India – the emirate’s top destination country with 11.4 million passengers in 2016.

There are on average 78 flights a day between Dubai International Airport and India, a weekly average of 546 flights.