Air India Express has resumed its flights to Qatar and Bahrain from Thursday amid flight services affected due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia. Along with this, the airline has also restored additional services to UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia. According to PTI news, due to tension in West Asia, restrictions were imposed on the airspace of many countries, which had a direct impact on the operations of airlines. This region is an important market for Air India Express, so its services were also affected.
Regular flights are gradually being restored
According to an airline official, regular flights to various West Asian cities are now gradually being restored, although the number of services has been kept lower than before. Air India Express said in a statement that it has restarted flight operations to Doha (Qatar) and Bahrain. Additionally, additional flights are being operated to many cities of UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia.
The airline will continue its services to Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, Sharjah (UAE), Jeddah, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) and Muscat (Oman), thereby reinvigorating connectivity between India and the Gulf countries. It is noteworthy that Air India Express operates more than 500 flights daily, connecting 45 domestic and 17 international destinations.
Fuel surcharge has been implemented from March 12
Air India and Air India Express have decided to impose a fuel surcharge of Rs 399 on every domestic flight ticket from March 12. In view of the huge increase in jet fuel prices due to the Middle East conflict, it was decided to increase the charges for international bookings also. These new fuel surcharges will be implemented in different phases.
Lamenting the need to impose fuel surcharges, Air India on Tuesday had said that without these surcharges, it is possible that some flights may not be able to cover their operating expenses and may have to be cancelled. The fuel surcharge rule of Rs 399 on domestic flight tickets will also be applicable on SAARC flights.
