Top 20 Unserved Flight Routes from Dubai and Abu Dhabi

UAE’s aviation hubs, Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) have significant unserved route opportunities despite their global connectivity. OAG Data analysis by Abhinandan Jain reveals substantial indirect passenger demand exceeding 20,000 travelers on multiple routes.

Market potential exists across African cities like Kinshasa (FIH) and several Indian destinations including Patna (PAT), highlighting opportunities for airlines to establish direct connections from these UAE hubs.

Photo: Emirates

Top Unserved Routes from UAE

The analysis of indirect demand from Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) for the 15-month period from January 2024 to March 2025 reveals significant untapped market potential.

According to data sourced from OAG 2025 and IATA AirportIS, Kinshasa (FIH) tops the list with 96,000 passengers traveling indirectly between the Democratic Republic of Congo’s capital and the UAE.

This is followed by Patna (PAT) in India with 80,000 passengers, Douala (DLA) in Cameroon with 62,000 passengers, and Bamako (BKO) in Mali with 50,000 passengers.

The presence of Atlanta (ATL) with 37,000 indirect passengers demonstrates demand for additional North American connectivity, while numerous Indian destinations such as Bagdogra (IXB), Guwahati (GAU), Coimbatore (CJB), and Vishakhapatnam (VNS) each show demand between 30,000-40,000 passengers.

This pattern suggests significant opportunities for route expansion, particularly to secondary cities in India and across the African continent.

Looking at the image, I’ll create a table of the top unserved routes from UAE airports based on the passenger demand data shown in the visualization.

Top Unserved Routes List

Photo: Arik De, Etihad

India-UAE Bilateral Constraints

The visualization clearly indicates that Indian destinations constitute more than half of the top unserved routes from UAE airports.

Cities such as Patna (PAT), Bagdogra (IXB), Guwahati (GAU), and Coimbatore (CJB) represent substantial VFR (Visiting Friends & Relatives) traffic and labor movement markets. Despite this demonstrated demand, direct connectivity remains limited due to bilateral air service agreement constraints between India and the UAE.

Emirates Airline (EK) and Etihad Airways (EY), the UAE’s flagship carriers, have repeatedly expressed interest in expanding services to these Indian destinations.

However, the existing bilateral caps have been fully utilized, preventing airlines from launching new routes despite the clear market demand.

This situation highlights the need for potential renegotiation of the air service agreements between the two countries to accommodate the growing travel demand.

Photo: flydubai

African Connectivity Opportunities

The presence of multiple African destinations in the top unserved routes presents a strategic opportunity for UAE-based carriers.

Kinshasa (FIH) shows remarkably high indirect demand at 96,000 passengers, while Douala (DLA) and Bamako (BKO) also demonstrate significant potential. These African markets represent an untapped frontier for UAE carriers looking to expand their network reach.

flydubai (FZ) has been progressively expanding its African network, but significant opportunities remain. The high indirect demand for these destinations suggests viable year-round services could be sustained.

Additionally, these routes would enhance Dubai’s positioning as a gateway connecting Africa to Asia and beyond, further strengthening its hub status and providing improved connectivity for travelers from underserved African markets.

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