Air India and Air India Express will together operate a combined total of 50 scheduled and non-scheduled flights to and from the West Asia region on Wednesday, March 18, as the group said it continues to maintain essential connectivity despite ongoing geopolitical developments in the area.
According to an official update from Air India, both carriers will run their regular scheduled services to Jeddah and Muscat on March 18, including a total of 14 flights between India and Jeddah. Air India will operate one return service each from Delhi and Mumbai to Jeddah, while Air India Express will handle one flight each from Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Mangalore, plus two flights from Kozhikode.
Air India Express will also operate 12 scheduled flights to and from Muscat, covering departures from Delhi, Kannur, Kochi, Lucknow, Mumbai, and Thiruvananthapuram.
In addition to these scheduled operations, the airlines will run a total of 24 non-scheduled (ad-hoc) flights to and from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, subject to slot availability and prevailing conditions at departure stations. These flights have received necessary permissions from Indian and local regulatory authorities.
Key highlights of operations on March 18
Scheduled flights: Jeddah (14 flights) and Muscat (12 flights) remain operational.
Ad-hoc flights: Primarily to/from Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah (UAE), and Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), operated by Air India Express from cities like Bengaluru, Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mumbai, and Mangalore.
No scheduled or ad-hoc operations to Dubai, Al Ain, Salalah, Dammam, Bahrain, Doha, Kuwait, or Tel Aviv on this date.
All Air India flights to/from North America, Europe, Australia, and other regions continue as per normal schedule.
For passengers affected by any temporarily suspended routes, Air India is offering flexible options: rebook to a future date at no extra charge or opt for a full refund. Passengers can raise requests directly on the airline’s website (airindia.com). The group said support is available 24X7 via the hotline at +91 169329333 or +91 169329999.
Air India Express passengers with bookings from UAE stations can rebook without additional charges on the airline’s additional commercial flights from any UAE point to Indian destinations.
“The airline is proactively contacting impacted guests using registered mobile numbers. Guests are requested to keep their contact details updated. Rebooking for Air India Express can also be done via the AI-powered digital assistant Tia on WhatsApp at +91 63600 12345. The Air India group continues to explore opportunities for additional ad-hoc flights to West Asia destinations as conditions permit, while prioritising passenger safety and operational feasibility,” the group stated.