In an important development in their operations, Air India and Air India Express have announced that they will conduct 42 flights to and from West Asia on April 4, 2026. This comes as part of the measures being taken to keep the airline connected during a period of disruption within the scheduled flights of the airline along some regional routes.As indicated in the press release released on April 3, the majority of these services, which are 26 in number, will consist of non-scheduled flights, linking India and the United Arab Emirates. The operations will be conducted provided slots are available and operating conditions are favorable for flight departures.
UAE routes see major adjustments
Despite several cities switching from scheduled flights to special flights, the UAE still takes precedence in the new flight schedule.
For instance, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, and Sharjah will have only ad-hoc flights operating, with no scheduled flights throughout the day.
Air India flights
For the Delhi-Dubai flight, Air India will conduct special flights, whereas Air India Express will operate special flights between Delhi and Abu Dhabi. Ras Al Khaimah will be connected to India through several cities, namely Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangalore, and Mumbai.
Similarly, Sharjah will also be connected to India through Kochi, Kozhikode, and Lucknow, among others.On the other hand, flights bound for Al Ain will be suspended, despite having operated from Amritsar, Kannur, and Tiruchirappalli in the past.
Limited scheduled operations in other West Asian countries
Outside UAE operations, the flights look stable but quite limited as well. The flights will continue operating to some selected destinations like Muscat in Oman, where Air India Express continues offering its scheduled flights from Delhi and Mumbai.
For Jeddah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, flight operations will be continued, thus maintaining connectivity to these destinations.For some other destinations, like Salalah, Dammam, Bahrain, Doha, Kuwait, and Tel Aviv, there would be no scheduled flight operations for the day.
Continued operation of long haul flights
Despite the changes in West Asia operations, it was noted that all long haul flights to destinations across Europe, North America, Australia, and other parts of the world would be continued without any disruption to flight schedule plans.
Passenger support measures announced
Considering the temporary suspension of flights on certain routes, the Air India Group has made it a point to take various passenger-centric steps. In case the travelers’ journeys get canceled or changed, they can change their tickets for any other future travel dates without being charged extra fees or receive a refund of the total amount paid.Travelers should book or cancel their tickets through the airline’s official website. Besides, the airlines are contacting those travelers whose journey plans have been altered or canceled via their mobile numbers, requesting them to update their details on time.Air India Express travelers can also seek assistance from the airlines’ digital assistant Tia, which will guide them regarding changing booking dates or looking for alternative travel plans, through WhatsApp.
