Air India and Air India Express will operate a total of 48 scheduled and non-scheduled flights to and from the West Asia region on 16 March 2026, the carriers announced on Sunday, March 15.Both airlines will continue their regular services to Jeddah and Muscat on the day. Between India and Jeddah, a total of 10 flights are scheduled. Air India will operate one return service each from Delhi and Mumbai, while Air India Express will fly one service each from Bengaluru, Kozhikode, and Mangalore.
For Muscat, Air India Express will operate 12 scheduled flights on 16 March. This includes one flight each from Delhi, Kannur, Mumbai, and Thiruvananthapuram, and two flights from Kochi.
The operations are part of both carriers’ ongoing efforts to maintain connectivity between India and key destinations in West Asia amid increased passenger demand.Additionally, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted temporary relaxations in pilot flight duty time limitations (FDTL) for Air India. The move comes as ongoing airspace restrictions over parts of West Asia, including the closure of airspace over Iran and Iraq, continue to disrupt global flight operations.Airlines have had to reroute flights through longer corridors, significantly increasing flying times on some international sectors.(Edited by : Priyanka Deshpande)
