NEW DELHI: Air India’s low-cost carrier will restore all its flights to the Gulf region by the end of this week, the company has announced, months after the US-Israeli war on Iran triggered major disruptions to the global aviation industry.
Tens of thousands of flights in and out of the Middle East were forced to cancel or reroute following the US-Israeli attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, as countries in the region closed their airports and airspaces due to continued strikes.
On top of the flight disruptions, airlines faced rising fuel costs and weakening demand for months, as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz caused oil prices to soar.
But as US-Iran talks aimed at reaching a peace agreement are underway, Indian airlines are joining the global race to resume flights to the Gulf, one of their top international markets.
Air India Express, a budget airline owned by the Air India Group, said it has “restored connectivity to all destinations across its West Asia network,” with flights from the southern Indian cities Kozhikode and Bengaluru to Kuwait resuming on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
