ir India Express has restored connectivity to all destinations across its West Asia network with the resumption of services to Salalah in Oman and Kuwait. The budget carrier of the Air India group had temporarily suspended flights across West Asia in the wake of the war between the US-Israel coalition and Iran, during which the region witnessed heavy bombardment and frequent airspace closure.
The West Asia crisis, which began on February 28 and triggered a sharp rise in energy prices, including jet fuel, is now in the final stage, with the related parties continuing to hold peace talks. Energy prices, including jet fuel prices, which account for 30-40% of an airline’s operating cost, have also seen a sharp correction in recent weeks.
Earlier on Friday, Air India Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Campbell Wilson had told employees that the airline may restore some of the flights it had cut in recent times because of the West Asia conflict. He stated that the call will be taken if easing tensions in West Asia continues to keep fuel prices lower and more airspace accessible.
Air India Express flights on the Kozhikode–Salalah route resume from 2 July. Services between Kozhikode and Kuwait resume from 3 July, while flights between Bengaluru and Kuwait begin from 4 July, with frequencies increasing in phases over the coming days.
The Kozhikode–Salalah service will operate twice every week. Services between Kozhikode and Kuwait will initially operate once a week from 3 July, increasing to three weekly flights from 5 July. With this resumption, Air India Express now operates from two airports in the Sultanate of Oman: Muscat International Airport and Salalah International Airport.
Air India Express has also reinstated flights between Muscat and Mangaluru starting 3 July. The airline operates about 40 weekly flights from Muscat to 7 destinations in India.
Bengaluru–Kuwait services will operate once a week from 4 July, increasing to three weekly flights from 7 July. All Air India Express flights to and from Kuwait will operate from Terminal 4 at Kuwait International Airport.
With flights to 13 destinations across Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Air India Express is one of the leading carriers connecting India with the region.
The airline currently operates about 780 weekly flights between India and West Asia, connecting 18 Indian cities directly with the region. In recent weeks, the airline has launched new services connecting Navi Mumbai and Abu Dhabi, Guwahati and Abu Dhabi, Guwahati and Dubai, Bengaluru and Phuket, and Pune and Amritsar, further strengthening connectivity across its growing domestic and international network.
Following these additions, Air India Express will operate about 415 weekly flights from Bengaluru, connecting the city with 30 domestic and seven international destinations. From Kozhikode, the airline operates about 85 weekly flights, connecting the city with 13 destinations across West Asia and Bengaluru.
