Air India. Photo: Darryl Brooks / Shutterstock Air India and Air India Express are adding flights to keep passengers moving across West Asia, despite ongoing disruptions in the region.
Yesterday, March 30, 2026, the two airlines announced they will operate a combined total of 20 scheduled and special flights to and from key destinations in West Asia. A large part of the effort will focus on the United Arab Emirates, where 10 non-scheduled flights have been added. The flights are subject to slot availability and local operating conditions.
Indian and UAE aviation authorities have cleared the extra services.
Today, March 31, the two companies offered an important update for passengers: "Air India and Air India Express will together operate 36 scheduled and non-scheduled flights, to and from the West Asia region on 31 March 2026. This includes 20 non-scheduled flights to and from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), subject to availability of slots and other prevailing conditions at the departure stations at the time. These flights are being operated with the requisite permissions from the relevant Indian and local regulatory authorities in the UAE."
Regular operations remain limited across several airports in the region, but the airlines are prioritizing key routes like Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, in an attempt to help connect passengers to major Indian cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kozhikode and Kannur.
At the same time, some destinations in countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Israel remain temporarily suspended, reflecting the wider operational challenges across the region.
Below is the current operational snapshot according to the March 31 update:
| Country | Airport | Scheduled Operations | Ad Hoc Operations | Operating Sectors |
| UAE | Dubai | No | Yes | Air India - Delhi |
| Air India Express - Delhi | ||||
| Abu Dhabi | No | Yes | Air India Express - Delhi, Kozhikode, Mangalore, Mumbai | |
| Ras Al Khaimah | No | No | Air India Express - Lucknow, Kozhikode | |
| Sharjah | No | Yes | Air India Express - Amritsar, Kannur | |
| Al Ain | No | No | __ | |
| Oman | Muscat | Yes | No | Air India Express - Delhi, Mumbai |
| Salalah | No | No | __ | |
| Saudia Arabia | Jeddah | Yes | No | Air India - Delhi, Mumbai |
| Air India Express - Hyderabad, Kannur, Kozhikode | ||||
| Riyadh | Yes | No | Air India - Delhi | |
| Dammam | No | No | __ | |
| Bahrain | Bahrain | No | No | __ |
| Qatar | Doha | No | No | __ |
| Kuwait | Kuwait | No | No | __ |
| Israel | Tel Aviv | No | No | __ |
Air India has also confirmed that long-haul services to North America, Europe, and Australia continue to run as scheduled.
Passengers affected by suspended routes can rebook their flights for a later date at no extra cost or request a full refund. The airlines are also directly contacting customers using registered mobile numbers to assist with changes.
Air India Express is also running rebooking options across its UAE network, with help from AI assistant “Tia” available via WhatsApp.
Looking ahead, the Air India Group says it is actively exploring more ad hoc flights to strengthen connectivity between India and West Asia as the situation evolves.