Air India Express Expands India Middle East Flights for Winter 2026
Airline to operate up to 135 daily departures to the Middle East from key Indian cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi, Kozhikode and Hyderabad
New Delhi: Air India Express is expanding its flight services between India and the Middle East as part of its Winter 2026 schedule, with up to 135 daily departures connecting Indian cities with major destinations across the region.
The airline is increasing flight frequencies from key hubs and focus cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi, Kozhikode and Hyderabad. The expansion covers several of the busiest India Middle East routes.
The expanded network will connect 23 Indian cities with 12 gateways across Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE through 88 non stop city pair routes.
Key destinations covered by the increased services include Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Al Ain, Dammam, Jeddah, Riyadh, Doha, Muscat and Kuwait City.
The Middle East will remain the largest part of Air India Express’s international network during the winter schedule. Across its international operations, the airline plans to offer up to 150 daily departures to 99 destinations worldwide.
Air India Express said the increased services are aimed at providing greater choice and convenience to passengers travelling for work, family visits and leisure. The airline is also deploying retrofitted aircraft on several Middle East routes as part of its fleet modernisation programme.
The Winter 2026 schedule will run until March 27, 2027, making it the airline’s largest winter schedule so far. Along with the Middle East expansion, Air India Express is increasing capacity at its Bengaluru and Delhi hubs and adding new domestic routes.
The expansion is expected to benefit the large Indian expatriate community across the Gulf, particularly passengers travelling between India and the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain.
With additional frequencies and upgraded aircraft being introduced, Air India Express is seeking to strengthen its position on the busy India Middle East travel corridor.