Air India Express resumes Middle East operations after temporary suspension over airspace closure

Air India Express is progressively resuming its services to the Middle East from Tuesday with flights to Muscat, Riyadh and Jeddah, a day after suspending operations to the region due to closure of airspaces amid escalating tensions.

The Tata Group-owned airline flies to 13 cities in the Middle East, operating around 900 flights per week.

In a statement, the carrier said it is progressively resuming its operations to the Middle East from Tuesday as airspaces in the region reopen.

"Our first flight to the region today will be on the Delhi–Muscat route, followed by services on the Mumbai–Muscat, Kozhikode–Muscat, Kozhikode–Riyadh, and Jaipur–Jeddah routes," it said.

The airline's flights to key cities in the UAE -- including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Al Ain, and Ras Al Khaimah -- as well as other cities in the Middle East, are scheduled from Wednesday.

Meanwhile, IndiGo said its flight services to Gulf countries have stabilised and are operating as scheduled.

"However, as airspace over Iran remains restricted, some flights may take alternate routes, which could result in longer travel times," the carrier said in a post on X.