Air India to Run 58 Flights to and From West Asia

• Air India group to run 58 flights to West Asia on today.
• Services continue to Jeddah and Muscat amid regional conflict.
• 36 additional UAE flights planned subject to approvals.

As geopolitical tensions in West Asia rise, Air India and its low, cost sister Air India Express have jointly decided to operate 58 flights to and from West Asia on today so as to not disrupt the connection between India and major Gulf destinations. This decision has been made by the airlines in light of the fact that airspace restrictions and security issues associated with the ongoing regional conflict are forcing carriers worldwide to change their operations.

The 58 flights, according to the airline group, are both scheduled and non, scheduled services that will link Indian cities with major West Asian hubs. Even though the region's airspace is disrupted, both carriers are running pivotal routes to cities like Jeddah and Muscat, where airspace is still open, besides others.

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For instance, Air India will fly eight times to and from Jeddah, including round, trip flights from Delhi and Mumbai while Air India Express is expected to make 14 scheduled flights between India and Muscat, apart from connecting Delhi Mumbai Kannur, Thiruvananthapuram, Tiruchirappalli, and Kochi cities. Besides, the airline will also do round, trip flights to Jeddah from Hyderabad and Kozhikode so as to provide continuous connectivity for passengers going to Saudi Arabia and Oman.

Besides their usual operations, these airlines intend to operate 36 additional ad, hoc non, scheduled flights between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Such flights will be scheduled on the basis of slot availability and prevailing operational conditions at the points of departure only.

The additional services will help in accommodating passengers whose travel has been disrupted and offer flexibility in travel during the uncertain situation. All the flights are basically being operated with the necessary approvals from the Indian and local regulatory authorities. Meanwhile, airlines are taking note of the ongoing dynamic situation in West Asia, and making changes in the operations to ensure the safety of the passengers and also to keep the essential travel links between India and the Gulf region intact.