Indian Airlines test the war skies with limited West Asia services

Mumbai: Indian carriers are gradually restoring limited operations to parts of West Asia while keeping several routes suspended, as airlines reassess safety and airspace risks amid the continuing Iran war.

Air India and Air India Express said they would together operate 14 flights to and from Jeddah on Tuesday, while Air India Express will run another 14 flights to and from Muscat the same day.

The Tata Group-owned carriers are also planning "32 additional non-scheduled flights to and from many destinations in the UAE on March 10, subject to slot availability, regulatory approvals and the evolving situation," the airline said in a statement.


Budget airline Akasa Air said in a travel update on Tuesday that it will operate select flights to and from Jeddah from cities such as Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kochi, and Kozhikode till March 31 after a "comprehensive safety review and the current assessment of the situation in West Asia."

SpiceJet said it will operate additional flights from Dubai to cities including Pune, Jaipur, Madurai, Kozhikode, Ahmedabad, Delhi, and Mumbai on Wednesday to support passenger movement.

However, several routes remain suspended.

Akasa said operations to Riyadh will remain halted until Wednesday, while services from Abu Dhabi, Doha and Kuwait are suspended until March 15. The airline has also extended a waiver on cancellation and rescheduling charges for affected passengers till the month-end, allowing them to opt for a full refund or change travel dates without additional cost.