Air India, AI Express To Operate Extra UAE Flights Today For Stranded Flyers Amid West Asia Conflict

New Delhi, March 8: Air India and Air India Express on Saturday announced additional non-scheduled flights on March 8 with approvals from Indian and local authorities to facilitate travellers affected by the regional restrictions amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

Both carriers are continuing scheduled flight operations to select West Asian destinations, while operating additional non-scheduled flights to assist stranded travellers amid ongoing airspace restrictions in parts of the region, the airline company said in a press release.

Air India will operate special services between Delhi and Dubai and between Mumbai and Dubai. Air India Express will operate 30 additional flights connecting Indian cities with several destinations in the United Arab Emirates, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah.

The company added that the airspace over Saudi Arabia and Oman remains open, allowing the airline to maintain regular services to and from Jeddah and Muscat.

According to the release, Air India is running scheduled flights between Delhi and Mumbai to Jeddah. At the same time, Air India Express is operating flights from Muscat to Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, Mumbai, and Kannur, as well as flights from Jeddah to Bengaluru, Kozhikode, and Mangaluru.

These additional flights are primarily intended for stranded travellers, with priority given to passengers who already hold bookings with either airline. Air India Express also confirmed that all its scheduled flights to and from Bahrain, Dammam, Doha, Kuwait and Riyadh remain cancelled until March 13 due to the ongoing restrictions.

Air India’s scheduled flights to and from Dammam, Doha and Riyadh will remain suspended until March 10. Passengers booked on cancelled flights can either rebook for a later date without additional charges or opt for a full refund, the release said. The airline has advised affected passengers to submit rebooking or cancellation requests through its official website or contact its 24×7 customer support hotline.

Air India Express passengers travelling from the UAE can also rebook flights at no additional cost on alternate services operating from any UAE city to destinations in India. The airlines said they are proactively contacting affected travellers through registered mobile numbers to provide rebooking options. Additionally, Air India Express passengers can manage bookings through the airline’s AI-powered digital assistant available on WhatsApp. The Air India group said it is exploring opportunities to operate further ad-hoc flights to and from destinations in West Asia as required.

Meanwhile, Air India’s flights to Europe, including the United Kingdom, and to North America have been operating on schedule since March 2 through alternative safe routes, with technical stops at Rome or Vienna for flights from India to North America due to extended routing requirements.