India-Middle East Flight Services Resume: Airlines Restore Routes From March 12 - Travel Update, Airports & What Flyers Need To Know

Amid the ongoing tensions in West Asia, Indian carriers like IndiGo, Air India Express, and Air India have resumed their flight services. This comes like a ray of sunshine amid the given war tensions, as many people stuck in the Gulf countries felt the relief! From routes to travel advisories, here’s what every flyer on these routes should know as India-Middle East flight services resume. 

India-Middle East Flight Services Resumed

IndiGo announced that it is set to gradually resume flights across the Middle East from March 12, 2026. They have restarted their services to nine destinations in the region currently. 

Air India and Air India Express have started their operations with flights from Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Dubai, Salalah, and Ras Al Khaimah, in limited numbers. These flights are currently following the airline’s regular schedule. Even flights to Muscat and Jeddah are running as per their regular schedule. 

Many of the flights that have resumed connect to a major Indian hub. These include Mumbai, Delhi, Kochi, Hyderabad, and Kozhikode. 

The operations have also begun on the India–Riyadh route from March 12. This comes as a big relief for thousands of Indian workers, business travellers, and families living in Saudi Arabia.

Also, Air India and Air India Express scheduled 58 flights to and from West Asia on March 12. This included both scheduled and additional services linking Indian cities with Gulf destinations. This includes destinations in United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Oman.

Middle East Travel Advisory

As of March 2026, the Middle East travel advisory mentions that severe travel restrictions and warnings are already in place for the Middle East.  Many governments have asked the passengers to reconsider their travel to many other countries like including Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and also some parts of the UAE.

The advisory has also asked the travelers to be prepared for any flight disruptions, and maintain a departure plan. They have asked people to only rely on authnetic sources for any updates. 

What Flyers Need To Know 

Flyers must keep a close eye on the flight updates before heading to the airport. The reason behind this is that, given the ongoing situation, the schedules might change. It is advisable to download the airline application, for instance, and have the latest updates and alerts at their fingertips. The flight schedules may change or get cancelled on very short notice, so it is better to stay updated. 

They can also switch on the notifications from these airlines on social media to know about the announcements early. 

Some of these airlines are personally contacting the passengers to help them with alternative travel options. Air India Express is letting passengers travelling from any UAE city to switch to additional commercial flights at zero cost. Moreover, the passengers flying from the Gulf region to India can now ask for a free date cancellation or change till March 31, 2026. 

Summing Up

Make sure you keep yourself updated through official news sources, airlines, and channels on social media. Do not fall prey to fake news and travel safely and responsibly.