Jet's Dubai launch from August 23 2008

"We are launching our air service to Dubai from August 23," a senior Jet Airways official said on Saturday.

The airline would launch one daily, direct flight each from Delhi and Mumbai, he said, adding that, "an Airbus 330-200 is being deployed on the proposed sectors."

With the launch of its Dubai service, Jet Airways would become the first Indian private air-carrier to fly to the business hub in the Gulf.

Jet Airways, which made its international debut in August last year with a Mumbai-Brussels flight, currently operates flights to overseas destinations such as the US, UK, China, Canada, the UAE and south-east Asia, amongst others.

The airline also has plans to launch a service to Saudi Arabia this winter.

Jet Airways, which posted a net profit of Rs 143 crore in Q1 FY 09, after reporting losses for two consecutive quarters, earned Rs 1,377 crore through its international operations.

Currently, its revenue from international operation accounts for 48 per cent of operating revenue.