Air India Group schedules extra Dubai and UAE flights to assist stranded travellers
Several West Asia routes remain suspended until mid-March
DUBAI/GURUGRAM – Air India and Air India Express have announced additional flights between India and several UAE cities on March 8 as airspace restrictions continue to disrupt travel across parts of West Asia.
The airlines confirmed that scheduled operations to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Muscat in Oman remain unaffected as the airspace over these countries continues to stay open. At the same time, extra non-scheduled flights have been approved by Indian and local authorities to support passengers impacted by cancellations across the region.
The move comes as the Air India Group continues to adjust operations while several destinations in West Asia remain temporarily suspended due to ongoing airspace restrictions.
Ongoing routes
Air India said it will continue to operate its regular services connecting Delhi and Mumbai with Jeddah. These flights remain part of the airline’s standard schedule and are operating normally.
Air India Express is also maintaining scheduled services between India and Muscat. These routes link Muscat with multiple Indian cities including Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, Mumbai, Kannur and Thiruvananthapuram.
#ImportantUpdate
— Air India (@airindia) March 6, 2026
Air India and Air India Express continue to operate scheduled flights to/from Jeddah and Muscat assessed safe for operations.
Additional non-scheduled flights have been planned to operate to and from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Muscat, Ras Al-Khaimah and Sharjah on 7…
Scheduled flights on March 8 include several Muscat services such as Mumbai–Muscat–Mumbai (IX235/IX236), Delhi–Muscat–Delhi (IX163/IX164), Kochi–Muscat–Kochi (IX431/IX432 and IX441/IX442), Kozhikode–Muscat–Kozhikode (IX337/IX338 and IX318/IX317) and Thiruvananthapuram–Muscat–Thiruvananthapuram (IX550/IX549).
Flights between India and Jeddah will also continue, including Air India’s Delhi–Jeddah–Delhi service (AI2255/AI2256) and Mumbai–Jeddah–Mumbai flight (AI2245/AI2246). Air India Express will operate additional Jeddah services linking Kozhikode, Mangaluru and Bengaluru with the Saudi city.
Extra services
To help passengers affected by cancellations elsewhere in the region, both airlines are introducing additional non-scheduled flights on March 8.
Air India will operate special flights from Delhi and Mumbai to Dubai and back. These include the Mumbai–Dubai–Delhi service (AI4201/AI4202) and the Delhi–Dubai–Delhi route (AI4205/AI4206).
#ImportantUpdate
— Air India (@airindia) March 7, 2026
Air India and Air India Express are committed to flying you to your destination and continue to operate scheduled flights to/from Jeddah and Muscat which are assessed safe for operations.
Additional non-scheduled flights are planned to operate to and from Abu…
Air India Express will operate around 30 additional flights connecting Indian cities with major UAE airports including Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah.
Among the Dubai services are Mumbai–Dubai–Mumbai flights (IX2117/IX2118 and IX1117/IX1118), Delhi–Dubai–Delhi (IX2115/IX2116) and Bengaluru–Dubai–Bengaluru (IX1115/IX1116).
Additional flights will also operate to Ras Al Khaimah from Mumbai, Kochi, Delhi and Bengaluru, including IX1121/IX1122, IX6605/IX6606, IX1123/IX1125, IX6603/IX6604 and IX6701/IX6702.
Services to Abu Dhabi include Mumbai–Abu Dhabi–Mumbai (IX257/IX268) and Bengaluru–Abu Dhabi–Bengaluru (IX865/IX866), while Sharjah will see additional flights from Mumbai and Bengaluru.
Further special services will also operate between India and Muscat, including Mumbai–Muscat–Mumbai (IX1112/IX1113) and Delhi–Muscat–Delhi (IX6601/IX6602).
The airlines said priority on these additional flights will be given to passengers who already hold bookings with either carrier and whose journeys were disrupted.
Suspended flights
Despite the additional services, several routes across West Asia remain suspended for the time being.
Air India Express has cancelled all scheduled flights to and from Bahrain, Dammam, Doha, Kuwait and Riyadh until March 13. Meanwhile, Air India’s scheduled services to and from Dammam, Doha and Riyadh remain cancelled until March 10.
Passengers affected by these cancellations can rebook for a later date without additional charges or opt for a full refund.
Air India said customers can submit rebooking or cancellation requests through the airline’s website or contact its 24-hour customer support hotline. Air India Express passengers travelling from UAE stations can also move their bookings to alternative flights departing from any UAE airport without extra charges.
For instance, a passenger originally booked on a cancelled Dubai–Jaipur service can switch to a Ras Al Khaimah–Delhi flight at no additional cost, subject to availability.
Both airlines are contacting affected travellers directly through the mobile numbers registered in their bookings to provide updated travel options and notifications.
Air India Express passengers can also manage their bookings through the airline’s AI-powered digital assistant, Tia, available on WhatsApp.
The Air India Group said it continues to explore opportunities to operate additional ad-hoc flights to and from West Asia wherever operationally feasible.
Flights to Europe, including the United Kingdom, and to North America have been operating normally since March 2 using safe alternative routes. However, due to extended routing under current conditions, flights from India to North America are making technical stops in Rome or Vienna before continuing to their final destinations.