Air India Announces Major Schedule Changes for Gulf Routes on April 8, 2026
Air India has released a detailed update regarding significant alterations to its international flight schedule for April 8, 2026. The airline has officially cancelled all its scheduled operations to several key destinations across the Gulf region. However, connectivity is being preserved on a limited number of routes through specially arranged ad hoc flights.
United Arab Emirates: No Scheduled Flights, Limited Ad Hoc Services
According to the operational information provided by Air India, there will be no scheduled flights to multiple destinations in the United Arab Emirates on the specified date. This includes major hubs such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, and Sharjah. Despite this cancellation, the airline has maintained ad hoc operations for certain routes.
Specifically, ad hoc flights will operate between Delhi and Dubai. Additional ad hoc services will connect Sharjah with Indian cities including Amritsar and Kannur. From Abu Dhabi, ad hoc connectivity is available to Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangalore, and Mumbai. Notably, Ras Al Khaimah will have no scheduled sectors, and Al Ain remains completely inactive with no flights of any kind recorded.
Oman and Saudi Arabia: Mixed Operational Status
In Oman, Muscat stands out as one of the few airports where scheduled operations will remain active. Flights are planned to and from Muscat connecting with Indian cities like Delhi, Kannur, Mumbai, and Thiruvananthapuram. However, there are no ad hoc operations scheduled for this route. Conversely, Salalah will have no scheduled or ad hoc flights at present.
For Saudi Arabia, operations are partially active. Scheduled flights to Jeddah are maintained, with connections to Delhi, Mumbai, Kozhikode, and Mangalore operated via Air India Express. In contrast, there are no scheduled or ad hoc flights to Riyadh and Dammam on April 8, 2026.
Additional Suspended International Routes
Beyond the Gulf region, several other international routes are also suspended. There are no scheduled or ad hoc flights planned for destinations including Doha, Kuwait City, Bahrain, and Tel Aviv. This indicates a complete lack of air connectivity between India and these locations for the stated date.
Maintained Connectivity Through Ad Hoc Flights
Despite the widespread cancellations, Air India's operational chart shows that sectors providing connectivity between Indian and Gulf cities are still available through ad hoc flights. These flights serve destinations such as Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mumbai, Mangalore, Amritsar, and Kannur. It can be inferred that while scheduled services are cancelled on many routes, the airline is ensuring at least some form of connection via these specified ad hoc operations.
The information pertains specifically to April 8, 2026. Air India has not provided any time frames regarding when the cancelled scheduled services will resume operations. Travelers planning flights from India to the Gulf region are strongly advised to verify the status of their flights directly with the airline.
