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On the Move · Dubai · 26 Jun 2026 · 04:20 GMT+7

Gulf carriers add capacity on the India–Europe sixth freedom

An 11% capacity increase through Gulf hubs reshapes the cheapest way between two of the world’s busiest markets.
HB
By Hugo Bellamy
On the Move desk · 26 Jun 2026
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Dubai
On the ground in Dubai
Key takeaways
Gulf carriers lifted connecting capacity between India and Europe by 11% this quarter, deepening their hold on sixth-freedom traffic between two of the fastest-growing markets in the world.
For the price-sensitive traveller, more connecting capacity usually means lower one-stop fares; for European and Indian carriers, it is renewed pressure on a corridor they have struggled to defend on cost.
Whether direct operators respond on price or cede the segment is the question the next schedule season answers.
+11%
connecting capacity
OAG
6th
freedom traffic
route analysis
3
hubs expanding
carrier schedules

Gulf carriers lifted connecting capacity between India and Europe by 11% this quarter, deepening their hold on sixth-freedom traffic between two of the fastest-growing markets in the world. Three hubs account for nearly all of the increase.

For the price-sensitive traveller, more connecting capacity usually means lower one-stop fares; for European and Indian carriers, it is renewed pressure on a corridor they have struggled to defend on cost. The structural advantage of the Gulf geography is, again, doing the work.

Whether direct operators respond on price or cede the segment is the question the next schedule season answers.

Dubai
On the ground in Dubai
By Hugo Bellamy · WorldTravelBrief
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