TBM Staff - Mumbai
Starting 15th February 2025, Tata-owned low-cost carrier Air India Express (IX) will launch daily non-stop flights between Mumbai (BOM) and Varanasi (VNS). This marks the airline’s first direct connection between India’s financial capital and its spiritual capital. The new route aims to enhance connectivity and cater to increasing travel demand, especially during the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025.
Flight IX 2546 will depart Mumbai at 13:20 IST and arrive in Varanasi at 15:40 IST, with a flight duration of 2 hours and 20 minutes. The return flight, IX 2547, will depart Varanasi at 16:15 IST and land in Mumbai at 18:30 IST. The service will utilize Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, which can accommodate 176–178 passengers, depending on configuration.
Air India Express will face stiff competition on the Mumbai–Varanasi route, which currently sees six daily flights operated by four airlines—IndiGo (6E), Akasa Air (QP), SpiceJet (SG), and Air India (AI). With the new addition, the sector will expand to seven daily flights, further intensifying competition.
Varanasi is not new to Air India Express, which already connects the city with Hyderabad (HYD), Bengaluru (BLR), and Sharjah (SHJ). These include domestic daily flights to Hyderabad and thrice-daily flights to Bengaluru, as well as an international daily flight to Sharjah in the UAE. The addition of Mumbai strengthens the airline’s growing network in this critical market.
