Air India and Air India Express have scheduled a total of 80 flights to and from the West Asia region on Saturday amidst the ongoing conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran. The two carriers are continuing their scheduled services to Jeddah and Muscat, with a total of 10 flights to and from Jeddah and 8 scheduled flights to and from Muscat. Additionally, Air India will operate flights from Delhi and Mumbai to Jeddah, while Air India Express will fly from Kozhikode and Mangaluru to Jeddah and back.
Air India Express will also run scheduled services to Muscat, including flights from Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, and Mumbai. Apart from these scheduled services, both airlines will operate 62 non-scheduled flights to and from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, subject to slot availability and prevailing conditions at departure stations. The airlines have obtained the necessary permissions from Indian and local regulatory authorities for these flights.
The Air India group is actively looking into opportunities to run additional ad-hoc flights to and from destinations in West Asia. Meanwhile, IndiGo has announced the introduction of a fuel surcharge on domestic and international flight tickets starting March 14 due to a significant increase in aviation turbine fuel prices linked to tensions in the Middle East. The surcharge will range from Rs 425 to Rs 2,300 depending on the route.
Airlines are facing higher operating costs due to the surge in jet fuel prices amidst the geopolitical tensions in the Gulf region. Previously, Air India and Air India Express had also introduced a fuel surcharge on flight tickets. The surcharge is Rs 399 per ticket for domestic flights since March 12, and the same applies to flights to South Asian destinations. For international routes, the surcharge varies by destination. Flights to West Asia will have an additional $10 charge per ticket, while flights to Africa will see a surcharge increase of $30 to $90. Services to Southeast Asia will incur a surcharge ranging from $20 to $60.
