Air India Express restores Qatar, Bahrain flights; expands Gulf network
Synopsis
Air India Express has restored flights to Qatar and Bahrain effective 30 April 2026, while expanding its Gulf footprint across the UAE, Oman, and Saudi Arabia — reconnecting 14 Indian cities to West Asia's busiest diaspora corridor. The Tata-backed low-cost carrier now runs over 500 daily flights to 17 international destinations.
Key Takeaways
Air India Express restored flights to Qatar and Bahrain effective 30 April 2026 .
The Gulf network now covers UAE , Oman , Saudi Arabia , Bahrain , Qatar , and Kuwait .
Services resume from 14 Indian cities including Amritsar, Kochi, Kozhikode, Tiruchirappalli, and Varanasi.
The airline operates over 500 daily flights to 45 domestic and 17 international destinations with a fleet of 100+ aircraft .
Flight IX-1057 (Delhi–Bhubaneswar) was briefly diverted to Jaipur due to adverse weather; no injuries or damage were reported.
Air India Express on 30 April 2026 restored flight operations to Qatar and Bahrain, while simultaneously expanding its network across key Gulf destinations including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, and Saudi Arabia. The Tata Group-backed carrier's move reinforces India's busiest international air corridor, serving millions of migrant workers and diaspora travellers across West Asia.
Routes and Indian Gateways Restored
With the reinstatement of Gulf services, Air India Express has resumed connectivity from a broad sweep of Indian cities — including Amritsar, Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Kannur, Lucknow, Mangaluru, Mumbai, Tiruchirappalli, Thiruvananthapuram, and Varanasi. The mix of metro and regional gateways underscores the airline's focus on Tier-2 cities with high Gulf-migration footprints.
On the Gulf side, the carrier will operate to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah, and Al Ain in the UAE; Muscat in Oman; Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dammam in Saudi Arabia; Bahrain; and Doha in Qatar. Kuwait services will also remain part of the Gulf network.
Fleet and Network Scale
Air India Express currently operates over 500 daily flights connecting 45 domestic and 17 international destinations across South, Southeast, and West Asia. The fleet comprises more than 100 Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 aircraft. The Gulf expansion adds to what is already one of the most extensive low-cost international networks operated by an Indian carrier on the India–West Asia corridor.
Flight Diverted to Jaipur Due to Adverse Weather
Separately, earlier this week, Air India Express flight IX-1057 — operating from Delhi to Bhubaneswar — was briefly diverted to Jaipur as a precautionary measure after encountering unfavourable weather en route. The aircraft landed safely at Jaipur airport, with no injuries or damage reported.
In an official statement, an Air India Express spokesperson said,
Point of View
And any disruption hits remittance flows and worker mobility hard. Air India Express's decision to anchor the network in Tier-2 cities like Kozhikode, Tiruchirappalli, and Varanasi — not just metros — signals a sharper understanding of where Gulf-bound passengers actually originate. The real competitive test, however, is frequency and pricing against IndiGo and Air Arabia, both of whom have aggressively expanded on these routes. A fleet of 100-plus narrowbodies is a credible base, but execution consistency — not just route announcements — will determine whether Tata's low-cost arm can hold its own on West Asia.
NationPress
1 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which destinations has Air India Express restored flights to?
Air India Express has restored flight operations to Qatar (Doha) and Bahrain effective 30 April 2026, while also expanding services across the UAE, Oman, and Saudi Arabia. Kuwait services remain part of the Gulf network as well.
Which Indian cities are connected to the Gulf under the restored Air India Express network?
Air India Express has resumed Gulf connectivity from 14 Indian cities: Amritsar, Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Kannur, Lucknow, Mangaluru, Mumbai, Tiruchirappalli, Thiruvananthapuram, and Varanasi.
How large is the Air India Express fleet and network?
Air India Express currently operates over 500 daily flights to 45 domestic and 17 international destinations across South, Southeast, and West Asia. Its fleet comprises more than 100 Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 aircraft.
Why was Air India Express flight IX-1057 diverted to Jaipur?
Flight IX-1057, operating from Delhi to Bhubaneswar, was diverted to Jaipur as a precautionary measure due to adverse weather conditions en route. The aircraft landed safely, and the flight resumed to Bhubaneswar once weather improved; no injuries or damage were reported.
Who owns Air India Express?
Air India Express is backed by the Tata Group, which acquired the Air India group from the Government of India. It operates as a low-cost carrier focused on domestic routes and the India–West Asia corridor.
