The budget airline Air India Express is expanding its flight schedule between cities in India and the Middle East as part of its winter timetable for 2026, planning to operate up to 135 daily flights to the region.
The airline is increasing the frequency of flights across its main network in the Middle East, utilizing hubs and key cities such as Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi, Kozhikode, and Hyderabad.
These increases concern some of the busiest corridors between India and the Middle East, including destinations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Dammam, Jeddah, Riyadh, Doha, Muscat, Kuwait City, and Al Ain.
The new schedule will connect 23 Indian cities with 12 hubs in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE via 88 direct city-to-city routes. This expansion strengthens the airline's position as one of the largest operators on the India-Middle East corridor.
The Middle East remains the largest part of the airline's international network. During the winter, this network will offer up to 150 international flights daily to 99 destinations worldwide.
The Middle East is home to one of the world's largest Indian diasporas. Over four million Indian citizens live and work in the UAE in various fields of life.
Air India Express stated that the expanded schedule is designed to improve accessibility and choice for passengers traveling for business, family, or leisure.
Furthermore, the airline is investing in fleet modernization, using refurbished aircraft on several Middle East routes this winter. The expansion in the Middle East is part of Air India Express's most extensive winter schedule, which runs until March 27, 2027. The airline is also increasing capacity at its hubs in Bangalore and Delhi, launching new domestic routes, and utilizing refurbished aircraft across its network.