India’s national carrier Air India and its low-cost subsidiary Air India Express have announced the resumption of flight operations to and from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Muscat in Oman, following the reopening of airspace over the two Gulf nations. A press release from the airline group (dated March 5, 2026) states, “With the airspaces over Saudi Arabia and Oman remaining open and assessed as safe for operations, Air India and Air India Express have resumed services to and from Jeddah and Muscat. ”
Air India’s official post on X adds, “…Additional special flights are being operated to support stranded travellers.”
The decision comes after aviation authorities confirmed that airspace restrictions in these areas had eased, allowing commercial flights to operate safely again. The partial resumption offers relief to travellers who were affected by disruptions in the region in recent days.
Despite the reopening of airspace over Saudi Arabia and Oman, the Air India group has said that services to several other destinations across West Asia will remain suspended for the time being. According to the airline, the ongoing closure of airspace over multiple countries in the region continues to affect flight operations.
As a result, scheduled services to and from certain West Asian cities will stay suspended until March 10, 2026.
The official announcement reads, “Due to the continuing airspace closures over multiple other countries in the West Asian region, Air India group’s scheduled operations to and from other points in West Asia remain suspended until 10 March 2026. However, in addition to the above-listed scheduled services, Air India and Air India Express would operate the following additional ad-hoc special flights to and from Dubai, Muscat and Ras Al Khaimah on 5, 6 March to assist in bringing stranded travellers home to India, subject to the availability of slots and other prevailing conditions at the respective point of departure at the time. These flights are being operated with the requisite permissions from the relevant regulatory authorities in India, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates, following comprehensive assessments of the prevailing conditions across multiple parameters, including safety, security, and operational feasibility. As these special flights are intended primarily to assist stranded travellers, priority will be given to guests holding existing bookings with either carrier.”
Special flights for stranded passengers
To assist travellers affected by the disruptions, Air India and Air India Express have also introduced additional ad-hoc special flights. These services are extended till March 6, as per the announcement, to help bring stranded passengers back to India.
The extra flights will operate on routes connecting India with Dubai, Muscat, and Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates. The airline group said these operations are being carried out after receiving necessary approvals from aviation authorities in India, Oman and the UAE.
Officials stated that the decision to operate these flights was taken after evaluating several factors, including safety considerations, security conditions and the overall operational environment in the region.
Priority for passengers with existing bookings
The airline group clarified that the special flights are primarily intended to assist passengers who were left stranded due to the sudden disruptions. Travellers who already hold confirmed bookings with either Air India or Air India Express will receive priority on these services.
The development comes as airlines continue to navigate complex airspace restrictions in parts of West Asia, which have forced carriers to suspend or reroute flights in recent days. Air India said it will continue to review the situation and provide updates as conditions evolve. The announcement also reads, “Air India guests booked to travel from any point in the West Asia region (with tickets issued until 4 March 2026 and originally planned travel between 28 February and 8 March 2026) can conveniently rebook their flights to India on a future date within one month of originally intended travel date without any additional charges or otherwise applicable fare difference. Air India guests are advised to raise their rebooking or cancellation requests on the airline’s website at http://airindia.com or contact the 24×7 customer support hotline at +911169329333 or +911169329999. Air India Express guests booked to travel from any station in the UAE can conveniently rebook their flights without additional charges on Air India Express’ additional commercial flights operating from any UAE station to any destination in India.”
