Air India will start operating a weekly flight between Indore in Madhya Pradesh and Dubai in the UAE from September 1, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Monday.

Scindia is Rajya Sabha member from Madhya Pradesh.

"Great news for the people of Indore! Air India is going to start new services between Indore and Dubai that will operate once a week (on Wednesday) currently," the minister said on Twitter.

Financial bids for disinvestment-bound Air India are likely to be received from qualified interested bidders (QIBs) by September 15, Minister of State for Civil Aviation V K Singh had said on July 22 in Lok Sabha.

The Centre had invited Expression of Interests (EoIs) for Air India on January 27, 2020. The last date of submission -- after multiple extensions due to COVID-19 pandemic -- of EoIs was December 14, 2020.