Tata-owned Air India Express announced on 2 July that it has reinstated all flights to West Asia, including key routes to Salalah (Oman) and Kuwait City, after a six-week suspension triggered by the Iran–Israel conflict’s impact on regional airspace. Flights on Kozhikode–Salalah restarted the same day, with Kozhikode–Kuwait services following on 3 July and new Bengaluru–Kuwait frequencies from 4 July. The low-cost carrier, which operates 100+ aircraft, now flies roughly 780 weekly sectors linking 18 Indian cities with 16 Gulf destinations—vital corridors for Kerala- and Karnataka-based migrant workers and for Indian companies shipping project staff to energy and infrastructure sites. The return comes after India’s civil-aviation regulator permitted airlines to resume over-fly routes that had been rerouted around Iranian airspace, adding up to 90 minutes to some segments and inflating fuel costs. Air India Express says revised routings cut block times by up to 14 %, allowing it to re-deploy two Boeing 737MAX jets back to domestic rotations. Corporate travel managers should re-check crew rotation schedules: while flight numbers remain the same, Kuwait arrivals will now use Terminal 4 instead of Terminal 1, and electronic visa kiosks have moved accordingly.
![Air India Express restores Oman and Kuwait routes, completing West Asia network rebound]()
If executives or project staff need rapid turnaround on travel documentation, VisaHQ’s India portal can fast-track e-visas for Kuwait, Oman and other Gulf states, offering digital form-filling assistance and live status updates—all accessible at https://www.visahq.com/india/
Clients should also note that fare levels remain 8-12 % above pre-conflict averages because of residual insurance surcharges, though airlines expect gradual normalisation as reinsurers relax war-risk premia. For global-mobility programmes, the restart eases pressure on seat availability for July–August project mobilisations, but contingency planning remains prudent given the volatile geopolitical backdrop.
If executives or project staff need rapid turnaround on travel documentation, VisaHQ’s India portal can fast-track e-visas for Kuwait, Oman and other Gulf states, offering digital form-filling assistance and live status updates—all accessible at https://www.visahq.com/india/
Clients should also note that fare levels remain 8-12 % above pre-conflict averages because of residual insurance surcharges, though airlines expect gradual normalisation as reinsurers relax war-risk premia. For global-mobility programmes, the restart eases pressure on seat availability for July–August project mobilisations, but contingency planning remains prudent given the volatile geopolitical backdrop.
