MUSCAT – Air India and Air India Express have resumed select flight services to Muscat and Jeddah after airspace over Oman and Saudi Arabia was assessed as safe for operations, the airline group said in a statement.

The airlines announced that scheduled flights connecting several Indian cities with Muscat will operate on March 5 and 6, providing relief to passengers affected by widespread disruptions caused by airspace closures across parts of West Asia.

Flights between Mumbai, Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, Tiruchirappalli and Thiruvananthapuram and Muscat are among the services scheduled to operate during the two-day period. Air India also confirmed services between Delhi and Jeddah as well as Mumbai and Jeddah.

The move comes as Oman and Saudi Arabia continue to keep their airspace open and operational while several other countries in the region remain affected by ongoing tensions and temporary flight restrictions.

Despite the partial resumption, Air India Group said scheduled operations to and from several other destinations across West Asia will remain suspended until March 10 due to continuing airspace closures in multiple countries.

To support passengers stranded by the disruptions, the airline group said additional ad-hoc special flights will operate between India and destinations including Dubai, Muscat and Ras Al Khaimah on March 5 and 6.

These special services are intended primarily to help stranded travellers return home to India and will operate subject to slot availability and prevailing operational conditions at departure airports.

Air India said the flights are being operated with necessary approvals from regulatory authorities in India, Oman and the United Arab Emirates following safety and operational assessments.

The airline added that priority on these special flights will be given to passengers who already hold confirmed bookings with either Air India or Air India Express.