On March 15, Air India is operating one return flight from Delhi to Dubai, while four out of five scheduled Dubai flights have been cancelled. Likewise, Air India Express is running one return flight from Delhi to Dubai, with five of its six planned flights to Dubai cancelled.
Additionally, Air India Express has cancelled its planned flights connecting Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, and Sharjah as instructed by the UAE airport authorities. In a statement, the airline mentioned that it had to suspend ad-hoc operations to and from these locations on Sunday due to the directives received.
All five flights from Air India Express to Abu Dhabi have been cancelled.
For Sharjah, Air India Express intends to operate flights linking the emirate with Delhi, Kannur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mumbai, and Thiruvananthapuram. The airline will also provide services for Ras Al Khaimah–Kozhikode and Ras Al Khaimah–Kochi flights.
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However, the airline plans to operate one round trip on the Delhi–Dubai sector, subject to slot availability and current conditions.
According to the airlines, flights will proceed as long as there are available slots and conditions allow at the time of operation. Passengers affected by cancellations or temporary suspensions may rebook for a later date at no extra cost or choose a full refund.
This curtailment occurs amid increasing tensions involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, which have resulted in airspace restrictions and disruptions to flight operations across portions of West Asia.
The curtailment comes after operations on March 14, when Air India and Air India Express together managed scheduled and non-scheduled flights to and from the West Asia region, including services to cities like Jeddah and Muscat.
On that day, both carriers also planned a series of additional non-scheduled flights to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, based on slot availability and prevailing conditions at the departure locations.
The day before, Air India and Air India Express announced that they would manage 72 scheduled and non-scheduled flights to the Middle East region on Sunday.
The airlines expressed regret for the inconvenience caused and affirmed their commitment to returning stranded passengers home as soon as possible.
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