Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Mar 10: Even as regional tensions in West Asia continue to affect aviation operations, Air India and Air India Express have announced scheduled services for March 10, including a Mangaluru–Muscat flight, while also planning additional flights between India and the United Arab Emirates.
According to Gulf News, airspaces over Saudi Arabia and Oman remain open, enabling both airlines to continue select operations. Air India and Air India Express together will operate 14 flights to and from Jeddah, while Air India Express will operate 14 flights to and from Muscat, including the Mangaluru–Muscat–Mangaluru service (IX817 / IX818).
On March 10, Air India will operate one round trip from Delhi and two round trips from Mumbai to Jeddah. Air India Express will operate Jeddah services from Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mangaluru and Kozhikode, with the Mangaluru–Jeddah–Mangaluru flight (IX845 / IX846) also scheduled for the day.
For Muscat, Air India Express will run scheduled services from Delhi, Kannur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram, Tiruchirappalli and Mangaluru. The Mangaluru–Muscat flight is part of these scheduled operations.
In addition to the scheduled services, the airlines have announced 32 ad-hoc non-scheduled flights between Indian cities and the UAE on March 10, subject to slot availability and operational conditions at the respective airports. These flights have been arranged after obtaining necessary permissions from 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 from Delhi. Meanwhile, Air India Express will run one round trip each to Dubai from Mumbai and Bengaluru.
The budget carrier will also operate 18 additional flights to other UAE emirates, including services to Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah. These include one round trip each to Abu Dhabi from Bengaluru and Mumbai, one round trip each to Sharjah from Bengaluru and Mumbai, and services to Ras Al Khaimah from Delhi, Bengaluru, Kochi and Mumbai.
Meanwhile, the Air India group has cancelled scheduled operations to other destinations in West Asia until March 13, 2026. Passengers booked on cancelled flights have been offered the option to rebook for a future date without additional charges or opt for a full refund.
Air India passengers can submit rebooking or cancellation requests through the airline’s official website, while Air India Express passengers travelling from UAE stations may rebook on additional commercial flights operating from any UAE airport to destinations in India.