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Air India and Air India Express will operate a number of additional special (ad-hoc) flights to the UAE on March 16, even as regular scheduled services to the country remain largely suspended amid the evolving security situation in the Middle East.
The airline group said it will operate 26 non-scheduled (ad-hoc) flights to and from the UAE and Saudi Arabia, subject to slot availability and prevailing operational conditions at departure airports.
For the UAE, the planned services include an Air India flight from Delhi and an Air India Express flight from Kochi to Dubai. Air India Express will also operate flights to Abu Dhabi from Bengaluru, Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode and Mumbai, while Ras Al Khaimah will see services from Delhi and Kozhikode. In addition, Air India Express plans to operate flights to Sharjah from Kochi and Mangalore.
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Overall, the two carriers will run 48 scheduled and non-scheduled flights to and from the Middle East on March 16, as carriers adjust operations in response to regional restrictions.
Regular scheduled services will continue only to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Muscat in Oman. The airlines said they will operate a total of 10 flights between India and Jeddah, including Air India services from Delhi and Mumbai and Air India Express flights from Bengaluru, Kozhikode and Mangalore.
Air India Express will also operate 12 scheduled flights to Muscat, including services from Delhi, Kannur, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram, along with two flights from Kochi.
Flights to Riyadh will operate as ad-hoc services, including Air India flights from Mumbai and Air India Express flights from Kozhikode.
However, flights to several other destinations in the region, including Doha, Kuwait, Bahrain, Dammam and Tel Aviv, remain temporarily suspended.
The revised operations come a day after Indian carriers curtailed flights to Dubai and other UAE destinations on March 15 following restrictions imposed by airport authorities amid rising regional tensions.
Airlines have cautioned that operations remain subject to slot availability and prevailing conditions at the time of departure.
Passengers booked on routes where scheduled services remain suspended can rebook their travel to a later date at no additional charge or opt for a full refund, the airline group said.
All Air India flights to North America, Europe, Australia and other regions continue to operate as scheduled.
Source: Khaleej Times