In view of the increasing travel needs and current circumstances in the West Asia region, Air India and Air India Express have taken a big decision. Both the airlines will together operate a total of 50 scheduled and special flights on March 18, 2026 (Wednesday). Efforts are being made to provide convenience to the passengers traveling between India and West Asia through these flights.
Air India Group said that regular flight services to Jeddah and Muscat will continue. A total of 14 flights will be operated between India and Jeddah. Of these, Air India will run one return flight each from Delhi and Mumbai. Whereas, Air India Express will operate one flight each from Bangalore, Hyderabad and Mangaluru and two flights from Kozhikode.
Many flights to Muscat also
Air India Express will also operate a total of 12 scheduled flights to Muscat. These flights will operate from Delhi, Kannur, Kochi, Lucknow, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram. According to the airline, the objective of these services is to provide safe and regular travel facilities to the passengers.
Read this also- Shashi Tharoor: Tharoor’s big claim on Kerala elections, said- Congress should win, also expressed concern over Hormuz crisis
Additional special flights also planned
Apart from regular flights, Air India and Air India Express will also jointly operate 24 additional non-scheduled flights. These flights will be for United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. However, operation of these flights will depend on the slots available at the respective airports and other necessary conditions. All necessary permissions for these flights have been taken from Indian and local regulatory bodies.
Other international routes normal
Air India Group clarified that its flights to North America, Europe, Australia and other international regions will continue to operate as scheduled. No changes have been made on these routes. The airline has asked passengers to regularly check their travel information on the official website.
Rebooking and refund facility to passengers
Air India Group said that passengers whose flights have been temporarily affected will be given the facility to rebook tickets on a new date without any extra charges. If passengers wish, they can also take full refund. For this, Air India website or customer support helpline can be contacted. Air India Express has also provided rebooking facility to passengers through WhatsApp based digital assistant ‘Tia’.
Other videos-