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Air India Group to Operate 58 Flights to West Asia Amid Fuel Surcharge Hike

Air India and Air India Express will operate a combined 58 flights to and from West Asia on March 12, including scheduled services to Jeddah and Muscat. The operations include 40 non-scheduled flights to the UAE and Saudi Arabia, subject to slot availability and local conditions. This comes as the airline group implements a phased expansion of fuel surcharges on all routes due to rising jet fuel prices. Simultaneously, the group continues its scheduled long-haul services and has added 78 extra flights to destinations like Europe and the US through March 18.

Key Points: Air India, Air India Express Schedule 58 West Asia Flights

  • 58 total flights to West Asia
  • 40 non-scheduled flights to UAE & Saudi Arabia
  • Phased fuel surcharge expansion announced
  • 78 extra flights to US, Europe, Sri Lanka, Maldives
2 min read

Air India, Air India Express to operate 58 flights to and from West Asia on Thursday

Air India group announces 58 scheduled and non-scheduled flights to West Asia for March 12, alongside a phased fuel surcharge expansion.

"Air India group is exploring every opportunity to operate other additional ad-hoc flights - Air India statement"

New Delhi, March 11

Air India and Air India Express will together operate a total of 58 scheduled and non-scheduled flights to and from West Asia on March 12, the airline said on Wednesday.

Both the airlines will operate one non-scheduled round flight each tomorrow to Riyadh in Saudi Arabia from Mumbai and Kozhikode, respectively, it added.

The two carriers will also operate their respective scheduled services to and from Jeddah and Muscat with a total of 10 flights to and from Jeddah, and 8 scheduled flights to and from Muscat operated by Air India Express.

Additionally, Air India will operate one round-trip from Delhi and two round-trips from Mumbai to Jeddah while Air India Express will operate one round-trip each from Bengaluru and Kozhikode to Jeddah.

The statement further added that Air India Express will also operate its scheduled services to Muscat, including one round-trip each from Delhi and Mumbai and two round-trips from Kozhikode.

In addition to the scheduled services, Air India and Air India Express would operate a total of 40 non-scheduled flights to and from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, subject to availability of slots and other prevailing conditions at the departure stations at the time.

These flights are being operated with the requisite permissions from the relevant Indian and local regulatory authorities.

Moreover, all Air India flights to and from North America, Europe, Australia and other regions continue to operate per schedule, with 78 additional flights operating to and from Europe, the United States, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, between March 10-18.

"Air India group is exploring every opportunity to operate other additional ad-hoc flights to and from destinations in West Asia," said the airline.

Earlier, Air India group announced a phased expansion of fuel surcharge on its domestic and international routes, saying the move is "necessitated by the steep rise in jet fuel prices" arising from the geopolitical situation in the Gulf region.

The new fuel surcharges are being implemented in three phases, covering travel on all flights, including those operated by Air India Express.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
As an expat in Dubai, I'm relieved to see these non-scheduled flights being added. The uncertainty over slots is a bit worrying though. Hope they can secure them for all the planned 40 flights. Fingers crossed!
P
Priya S
Good to see Kozhikode getting multiple connections to Jeddah and Muscat. It's a major hub for the Malayali diaspora in the Gulf. These flights are a lifeline. 🙏
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Aman W
The phased fuel surcharge is a smart move, but they should be transparent about how much it will add to the final ticket price. "Steep rise in jet fuel" sounds like an excuse for a blanket price increase on all routes.
K
Kavya N
While West Asia is important, glad to see they haven't neglected other long-haul routes to the US, Europe, and Australia. The 78 additional flights there show a balanced approach. Well done, Air India.
M
Michael C
Operational details are clear, but the article doesn't mention if these are repatriation flights or regular commercial services. The distinction matters for ticket availability and pricing for ordinary travelers.

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