Air India and Air India Express will continue operations; total of 78 scheduled flights to and from West Asia


The war between the United States and Israel against Iran… which entered its 14th day on Friday – has sparked widespread unrest around the world, especially in the Middle East, which remains hardest hit by Tehran’s attacks. This escalation of the conflict has greatly affected and paralyzed the global aviation sector, leaving thousands of passengers stranded and unsafe.

Amid the chaos, airlines around the world are issuing frequent updates and advisories to keep travelers informed and safe.

Air India and Air India Express will operate a total of 78 scheduled and non-scheduled flights to and from the West Asia region on March 13, 2026, the airlines said in a post on X.

In an advisory, the airlines said both airlines will continue their scheduled services to Jeddah and Muscat. A total of six flights will operate to and from Jeddah, while Air India Express will operate 12 scheduled flights to and from Muscat.

Both airlines will also operate a non-scheduled flight to and from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia on Friday, departing from Mumbai and Kozhikode, respectively.

Air India Express will also operate its scheduled services to Muscat, including round trip from Delhi, Kannur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram.

The airlines said they will also operate 60 non-scheduled flights to and from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, subject to slot availability and prevailing conditions at departure airports. These flights will be operated with necessary permissions from local and Indian regulatory authorities, the advisory added.

Country Airport Scheduled operations Ad hoc operations Operating Sectors
United Arab Emirates Dubai No Yeah Air India – Delhi x3, Bombay x2
Air India Express – Chennai, Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mumbai x2
United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi No Yeah Air India Express – Bangalore, Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mumbai
United Arab Emirates Ras al-Khaimah No Yeah Air India Express – Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode
United Arab Emirates Sharjah No Yeah Air India Express – Bangalore, Delhi, Kannur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram
United Arab Emirates Al-Ain No No
Oman Muscatel Yeah No Air India Express – Delhi, Kannur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram
Oman Salalah No No
Saudi Arabia Jeddah Yeah No Air India – Delhi x1, Bombay x1
Air India Express – Hyderabad
Saudi Arabia Riyadh No Yeah Air India Express – Kozhikode
Saudi Arabia Dammam No No Air India – Mumbai
Bahrain Bahrain No No
Qatar Doha No No
Kuwait Kuwait No No
Israel Tel-Aviv No No

Additionally, the airlines said that all Air India flights to and from North America, Europe, Australia and other regions will continue to operate as scheduled.

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Air India advised passengers to submit rebooking or cancellation requests through its official website at www.airindia.com. For further assistance, travelers can contact the airline’s 24×7 customer helpline at +91 11 69329333 either +91 11 69329999.

Etihad Airlines

According to its latest notice, Etihad Airways has resumed a limited commercial flight schedule, operating between Abu Dhabi and several key destinations.

The airline said priority will be given to passengers with existing reservations and advised travelers to check the status of their flight before heading to the airport and urged passengers not to travel to the airport unless they have been contacted directly by the airlines or have a confirmed reservation on one of these new flights.

The following destinations are scheduled to operate to and from Abu Dhabi between March 6 and 19:

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Ahmedabad, Addis Ababa, Amsterdam, Athens, Atlanta, Bangkok, Barcelona, Beijing, Bangalore, Boston, Brussels, Cairo, Casablanca, Chiang Mai, Chicago, Colombo, Copenhagen, Delhi, Denpasar (Bali), Dublin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Hyderabad, Islamabad, Istanbul, Jakarta, Jeddah, Karachi, Kochi, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Krabi, Kuala Lumpur, Lahore, London (Heathrow), Madrid, Malé, Manchester, Manila, Medina, Melbourne, Milan (Malpensa), Moscow (Sheremetyevo), Mumbai, Munich, Muscat, Nairobi, New York (JFK), Paris, Phnom Penh, Phuket, Prague, Riyadh, Rome, Seoul (Incheon), Seychelles, Singapore, St. Petersburg, Sydney, Taipei, Thiruvananthapuram, Tokyo, Toronto, Vienna, Warsaw, Washington and Zurich.

Emirates Airlines

Emirates Airlines said it will operate a reduced number of flights until further notice.

Airlines urged passengers not to go to the airport unless they have been notified directly by Emirates or have a confirmed reservation for these flights.

Of A (India) Flight numbers Action
Dubai (DXB) Ahmedabad (AMD) EK 538, EK 540 Book now
Dubai (DXB) Bengaluru (BLR) EK 564, EK 566, EK 568 Book now
Dubai (DXB) Madras (MAA) EK 542, EK 544, EK 546 Book now
Dubai (DXB) Delhi (DEL) EK 510, EK 512, EK 514, EK 516 Book now
Dubai (DXB) Hyderabad (HYD) EK 524, EK 526, EK 528 Book now
Dubai (DXB) Cochin (COK) EK 530, EK 532 Book now
Dubai (DXB) Kolkata (CCU) EK 570, EK 572 Book now
Dubai (DXB) Mumbai (BOM) EK 500, EK 502, EK 504, EK 506, EK 508 Book now
Dubai (DXB) Thiruvananthapuram (TRV) EK 522 Book now

Airlines also asked passengers not to share their reservation information or other personal data on social media. “Do not share booking information, contact details or any personal details in response to our posts. Scammers can misuse this information. Instead, send us a direct message (DM) and we will help you privately and securely.”

Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways said it is currently allowing limited operations due to the closure of Qatar airspace.

“With Qatar Airways flights still temporarily suspended due to the closure of Qatar airspace, we are doing everything we can to support affected passengers and help them reunite with their families and loved ones. We recognize that this may be unsettling and appreciate your patience and understanding during this time. Operations will resume once the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority confirms the safe reopening of Qatar airspace,” he said in X.

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These limited flight operations do not constitute confirmation of the resumption of scheduled commercial operations, the airlines added.

Additionally, Qatar Airways has organized selected point-to-point direct flights to help passengers continue their travels. Qatar Airways will contact eligible passengers directly for point-to-point flights.

“Passengers are requested not to arrive at their departure airport unless they have a valid and confirmed travel ticket,” the airlines said.

The airlines indicated that the fastest way to manage reservations is through the official application. “If you have a confirmed reservation with a travel date between February 28 and March 28, 2026, you are eligible for a refund or date change.”


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