Air India to Run 32 Special UAE Flights Amid West Asia Crisis
Air India Express will also operate its scheduled services to Muscat, including one round-trip each from Delhi, Mumbai, Kannur, Thiruvananthapuram and Tiruchirappalli, and two round-trips from Kochi
New Delhi: Amid the developing security situation in West Asia and the Gulf, Air India issued a travel advisory on Sunday stating that Air India and Air India Express will continue their scheduled services to and from Jeddah and Muscat.
The airline also announced that, in addition to the scheduled services, both carriers will operate a total of 32 ad-hoc non-scheduled flights to the United Arab Emirates on Monday to help bring stranded travellers back to India.
The official statement said, "Air India and Air India Express will continue to operate their respective scheduled services to and from Jeddah and Muscat on 9 March 2026, as the airspaces over Saudi Arabia and Oman remain open. The two airlines will together operate a total of 10 flights to and from Jeddah and Air India Express will operate 14 flights to and from Muscat."
It added, "On 9 March 2026, Air India will operate one round-trip each from Delhi and Mumbai to Jeddah, and Air India Express will operate one round-trip each from Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Kozhikode."
Air India Express will also operate its scheduled services to Muscat, including one round-trip each from Delhi, Mumbai, Kannur, Thiruvananthapuram and Tiruchirappalli, and two round-trips from Kochi.
Regarding the additional ad-hoc flights, the statement said, "In addition to the scheduled services, Air India and Air India Express will operate a total of 32 ad-hoc non-scheduled flights to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on March 9, 2026, to assist in bringing stranded travellers home to India, subject to the availability of slots and other prevailing conditions."
The airline noted that these flights are being operated with the required permissions from relevant Indian and local regulatory authorities. Air India will operate 10 non-scheduled flights to and from Dubai, including three round-trips from Mumbai and two round-trips from Delhi.
Air India Express will operate one round-trip each to Dubai from Mumbai and Bengaluru.
The airline will also operate additional non-scheduled flights to other UAE emirates, including one round-trip each to Abu Dhabi from Bengaluru and Mumbai, one round-trip each to Sharjah from Bengaluru and Mumbai, and one round-trip each to Ras Al-Khaimah from Delhi, Bengaluru and Kochi, along with two round-trips from Mumbai.
Earlier on Saturday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) shared an update on the evolving situation in West Asia and the Gulf region, noting that more than 52,000 Indians travelled safely from the Gulf region to India between March 1 and 7, 2026.
The MEA also said a dedicated special control room has been set up to monitor the situation and respond to queries from those affected.
In an official press statement, the MEA said the Government of India is continuously monitoring the evolving situation in West Asia and the Gulf region, particularly with regard to the welfare of Indian nationals stranded there during transit or short-duration visits.
