In a bid to maintain crucial air connectivity amid prevailing conditions in the region, Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express will together operate a total of 42 scheduled and non-scheduled flights to and from West Asia on April 4.
Of these, 26 non-scheduled (ad hoc) flights will be deployed to and from various airports in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). These additional services are subject to slot availability and other operational conditions at the departure stations. All flights are being operated with necessary approvals from Indian authorities as well as local regulatory bodies in the UAE.
According to the detailed summary released by the airline group:
UAE: No scheduled operations, but ad hoc flights are planned from several Indian cities.
Dubai: Air India from Delhi; Air India Express from Delhi.
Abu Dhabi: Air India Express from Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangalore, and Mumbai.
Ras Al Khaimah: Air India Express from Kochi, Kozhikode, and Lucknow.
Sharjah: Air India Express from Amritsar, Kannur, and Tiruchirappalli.
Al Ain: No operations.
Oman: Scheduled services continue to Muscat by Air India Express from Delhi and Mumbai. No operations to Salalah.
Saudi Arabia: Scheduled flights operate to Jeddah (Air India from Delhi and Mumbai; Air India Express from Kannur and Kozhikode) and Riyadh (Air India from Delhi; Air India Express from Kozhikode). No services to Dammam.
Operations to Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Israel (Tel Aviv) remain temporarily suspended for the day.
All other Air India flights to and from North America, Europe, Australia, and other international regions are continuing as per the normal schedule.
Support for affected passengers
The Air India Group has assured passengers that those booked on temporarily suspended routes can rebook to a future date at no extra cost or opt for a full refund.
Air India passengers are requested to manage rebooking or cancellations directly through the airline’s website at airindia.com or by calling the 24X7 customer support helplines: +91 11 69329333 or +91 11 69329999.
Air India Express passengers travelling from any UAE station can rebook without additional charges onto the airline’s extra commercial flights operating from any UAE airport to any destination in India.
The airlines are proactively contacting impacted guests using registered mobile numbers. Passengers are advised to update their current and active mobile numbers in their bookings to receive timely notifications.
Air India Express customers can also use the airline’s AI-powered digital assistant Tia on WhatsApp at +91 63600 12345 for convenient rebooking.
The Air India Group stated that it is actively exploring opportunities to operate more ad hoc flights to and from West Asia destinations as required, to support travellers during this period.
Passengers are encouraged to check the latest flight status on the respective airline websites or apps before heading to the airport.