Air India, AI Express to operate 48 West Asia flights on Thursday; airlines to resume Dubai services

As countries adjust to the changing landscape, Indian airlines are taking a measured approach to reinstate flights to West Asia. Air India, Air India Express, and IndiGo are making moves to lift their Dubai services back into the skies, with Akasa...

By PTI | Mar 18, 2026, 10.39 PM IST

New Delhi: Airlines are operating flights in a calibrated manner to the conflict-ridden West Asia, with Air India, Air India Express and IndiGo on Wednesday deciding to resume services to Dubai while services to a few other cities in the region remain suspended.

Air India and Air India Express will operate 48 scheduled and non-scheduled flights to and from West Asia on March 19 (Thursday).

They will operate 16 scheduled and 32 non-scheduled flights on Thursday, Air India said in a statement. There will also be services connecting Dubai.

"Following the latest update from the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, flight operations to and from Dubai have resumed with effect from 1600 hrs (DXB local time) on 18 March 2026," IndiGo said in a post on X.

<div class="embed-content"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Travel Advisory<br/><br/><br />Following the latest update from the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, flight operations to and from Dubai have resumed with effect from 1600 hrs (DXB local time) on 18 March 2026.<br/><br/><br />As part of ongoing efforts to reunite customers with their loved ones, flights… <a href="https://t.co/bEl5FidhiA">pic.twitter.com/bEl5FidhiA</a><br /><br />— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiGo6E/status/2034276525697376520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>

Akasa Air said that after safety assessment and a review of the prevailing situation, it would progressively restore select services in the region.

"Starting today, flights will begin operating to/from Riyadh and Mumbai... We continue to operate flights to/from Jeddah and Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kochi and Kozhikode," the airline said in a post on X.

The carrier's flights to and from Abu Dhabi, Doha and Kuwait remain suspended till March 21.

The West Asia conflict has disrupted flight operations as there are airspace restrictions.

Around 2.6 lakh people have returned from the West Asia region to India since February 28, the day when the conflict involving the US, Israel and Iran started.

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