Air India and Air India Express will operate a combined total of 42 scheduled and non-scheduled flights to and from West Asia on March 21, while some routes in the region continue to be temporarily suspended.
The airlines stated that they will continue to schedule flights to Jeddah and Muscat. Together, the two carriers will run 16 flights between India and Jeddah. These include Air India’s return services from Delhi and Mumbai, along with an Air India Express flight from Hyderabad. Air India will also operate eight scheduled flights to and from Muscat from Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode and Mumbai.
DGCA flags safety concerns
Amid ongoing tensions in West Asia, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has advised airlines to avoid certain airspace pockets in the Gulf. It has also asked to keep contingency measures ready as part of their safety assessments.
26 non-scheduled flights for the UAE
In addition to the scheduled network, the group will provide services for 26 non-scheduled flights to and from the UAE. The airline said that these services ae “subject to availability of slots and other prevailing conditions at the departure stations at the time.”
The official statement also added that these flights are being operated “with the requisite permissions from the relevant Indian and local regulatory authorities.”
The extra flights will cover Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Ras Al Khaimah, whereas no services are planned for Al Ain. No flights are scheduled for Bahrain, Doha, Kuwait, Riyadh, Dammam, or Tel Aviv on March 21.
Flight status table for March 21
| Country | Airport | Scheduled Operations | Ad Hoc Operations | Operating Sectors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAE | Dubai | No | Yes | Air India – Delhi; Air India Express – Delhi |
| UAE | Abu Dhabi | No | Yes | Air India Express – Bengaluru, Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mumbai |
| UAE | Ras Al Khaimah | No | Yes | Air India Express – Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Lucknow |
| UAE | Sharjah | No | Yes | Air India Express – Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram |
| UAE | Al Ain | No | No | — |
| Oman | Muscat | Yes | No | Air India Express – Delhi, Kochi, Mumbai, Kozhikode |
| Oman | Salalah | No | No | — |
| Saudi Arabia | Jeddah | Yes | No | Air India – Delhi, Mumbai x2; Air India Express – Hyderabad |
| Saudi Arabia | Riyadh | No | No | — |
| Saudi Arabia | Dammam | No | No | — |
| Bahrain | Bahrain | No | No | — |
| Qatar | Doha | No | No | — |
| Kuwait | Kuwait | No | No | — |
| Israel | Tel Aviv | No | No |
Rebooking and refunds for passengers
Air India said that all its flights to and from North America, Australia, Europe, and other regions “continue to operate as per schedule.”
Passengers who have booked where schedule flights remain suspended can rebook for a later date without extra charges or can also seek a full refund. The group said it is “proactively reaching out to impacted guests” through registered mobile numbers with rebooking options.
Air India Express passengers travelling from any UAE station can shift to its additional flights to India without extra charges. They can also rebook using the airline’s AI-powered digital assistant Tia on WhatsApp.
Meanwhile, IndiGo is not operating any flights to West Asia today.