Air India Express restores West Asia routes, to operate over 40 daily services

Air India Express has resumed and expanded its flight operations to West Asia from April 30, 2026, restoring connectivity to Qatar and Bahrain while increasing services to the UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia. The airline said it will now operate over 40 daily flights to the region, strengthening links between India and key Gulf destinations.

The airline has restarted flights from multiple Indian cities, including Amritsar, Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Kannur, Lucknow, Mangaluru, Mumbai, Tiruchirappalli, Thiruvananthapuram and Varanasi. These routes connect to major West Asian hubs such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Muscat, Jeddah and Riyadh.

Wider Gulf connectivity restored

Air India Express said services to Qatar and Bahrain have been reinstated, reconnecting Indian cities like Kochi, Kozhikode and Kannur with Doha and Bahrain. The airline continues to operate flights to key destinations including Al Ain, Ras Al Khaimah and Dammam, maintaining its presence across the Gulf region.


The expansion is expected to support travel demand across segments, including workers, tourists and business travellers, while improving access between regional Indian airports and Gulf cities.

Flight schedule

Country	Airport	Operating Sectors (From India)
UAE	Dubai	Kannur, Lucknow, Mangaluru, Tiruchirappalli
UAE	Abu Dhabi	Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, Mumbai
UAE	Ras Al Khaimah	Kochi, Kozhikode
UAE	Sharjah	Amritsar, Jaipur, Kannur, Kozhikode, Varanasi
UAE	Al Ain	Kozhikode
Oman	Muscat	Delhi, Kannur, Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram
Saudi Arabia	Jeddah	Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kozhikode, Mangaluru
Saudi Arabia	Riyadh	Kannur, Kochi
Saudi Arabia	Dammam	Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru
Bahrain	Bahrain	Kannur, Kozhikode
Qatar	Doha	Kochi, Kozhikode
Kuwait	Kuwait	—