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This study finds that current air capacity between India and the United Arab Emirates is failing to keep pace with rising travel demand, potentially reducing the economic benefits that stronger air connectivity can support.

Under existing capacity levels, up to 27% of forecast India–UAE passenger demand could go unserved by 2035. This would represent a cumulative shortfall of about 54.5 million journeys, including 13.2 million on the Abu Dhabi–India corridor alone.

The report highlights strong structural growth in India’s aviation market. Their travelling class has grown from 24% of the population in 2010 to 40% in 2024, or nearly 300 million people. As a result, air travel demand is expected to grow by 7.2% per year through 2035, adding nearly 22 million passenger journeys annually.

India–UAE air travel demand is growing rapidly, underpinned by rising incomes, expanding international trade, and increasing outbound and inbound tourism.
_{– Matthew Dass, Director of Consulting}

The study also quantifies the economic impact of the UAE–India air corridor. With current capacity constraints, GDP contributions is expected to grow at a 3% CAGR over the next five years; easing constraints could lift growth to 5.5%–7%. Doubling Abu Dhabi–India seat capacity alone could generate an additional $7.2 billion in GDP over five years and support more than 170,000 jobs per year.

Beyond immediate impacts, improved connectivity could contribute to productivity gains of up to $9 billion annually by 2035, support trade and investment, and put downward pressure on fares through increased capacity and competition.

_{*The study was commissioned by Etihad Airways and conducted by Tourism Economics.}

Insider Brief

• Infleqtion is collaborating with NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory on the Quantum Gravity Gradiometer Pathfinder mission to fly the first standalone quantum gravity sensor in low Earth orbit, with a planned launch around 2030.
• The mission will demonstrate a neutral-atom quantum sensor that measures Earth’s gravitational field and gradients from space, enabling more sensitive tracking of mass changes in water, ice, and land than current methods.
• Backed by more than $20 million in mission funding, QGGPf builds on NASA’s Cold Atom Lab and GRACE heritage to reduce risk for future space-based quantum sensing systems with applications in Earth science, navigation, and national security.

PRESS RELEASE — Infleqtion, a global leader in quantum sensing and quantum computing powered by neutral-atom technology, announced its role as a collaborator on NASA’s Quantum Gravity Gradiometer Pathfinder (QGGPf) mission. Led by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the mission will fly the first quantum sensor capable of measuring the Earth’s gravitational field and its gradients; signals that are used today to monitor mass dynamics on the planet’s surface. The quantum instrument will be aboard a dedicated satellite in low Earth orbit (LEO). This program follows Infleqtion’s announcement to go public through a merger with Churchill Capital Corp X (NASDAQ: CCCX).

The QGGPf mission is designed to demonstrate quantum sensor technologies that could transform how Earth’s gravity is measured from space. The quantum sensor is designed to monitor mass dynamics across the planet’s surface, including changes in water, ice and land, while operating in microgravity, which enables longer interaction times and correspondingly improved measurement sensitivities. As a technology pathfinder, the mission will help inform the design of future science-grade instruments, representing a major step forward in U.S. leadership in space-based quantum sensing and strategic intelligence.

This project showcases what is possible when NASA and U.S. industry collaborate to push the boundaries of frontier science and technology. QGGPf builds on NASA’s long legacy of space-based gravity mapping and applies Infleqtion’s quantum engineering capabilities to enable a new class of measurement techniques designed specifically for the microgravity environment of space.

A Quantum Leap in Geospatial Precision and Strategic Sensing

With more than $20 million in contracted mission funding to date, the QGGPf mission, with contributions from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, the University of Texas at Austin, Infleqtion, Monarch Quantum, and Jemba9, will fly the first standalone quantum gravity sensor in orbit.

“Quantum sensing opens an entirely new domain for U.S. space leadership,” said Dana Anderson, Chief Science Officer at Infleqtion. “By deploying this technology in orbit, we are demonstrating the feasibility of quantum gravity sensing in space and laying the groundwork for future capabilities that can deliver unprecedented insight into our planet.”

By directly measuring subtle variations in Earth’s gravitational field, the mission aims to demonstrate technologies that will help reduce risk for future quantum gravity instruments. These future systems could enable higher-resolution insights into how underground water, ice, and natural resources shift over time, critical data for understanding planetary health, strengthening national resilience, and supporting long-term economic and security planning. The one-year mission is expected to launch in 2030.

Proven Quantum Heritage

QGGPf builds on work done by JPL and Infleqtion on the Cold Atom Lab (CAL) program aboard the International Space Station, and on NASA’s long heritage mapping Earth’s gravitational field through the GRACE mission series.

Infleqtion’s role on the QGGPf project includes the design, maturation, and integration of the quantum core of the sensor, encompassing its vacuum, laser, and control subsystems. The cold-atom system, based on ultracold rubidium atoms cooled to near absolute zero, is designed to enable direct gravity gradient measurements from space with unprecedented precision.

Accelerating Quantum-to-Space Transition

The mission further marks a significant milestone in America’s growing quantum ecosystem, showcasing how public–private relationships can accelerate the transition from fundamental research to operational capability. Beyond Earth science, quantum sensing in space will enable advances in navigation, resource management, and national security, where precision and autonomy are critical.

NASA and Infleqtion plan to complete the instrument hardware development over the next three years, followed by flight demonstration.

To learn more about how Infleqtion’s quantum technologies are enabling advances in space exploration, navigation, remote sensing, and defense, visit https://infleqtion.com/space-and-frontier/.