Air India Express Resumes Flights to Qatar and Bahrain Amid Fragile Conflict in West Asia

Air India Express Resumes Services to Qatar and Bahrain, Increases Frequencies to Gulf Region

Air India Express announced on Thursday that it will resume services to Qatar and Bahrain, while increasing frequencies to the UAE, Oman, and Saudi Arabia, effective 30 April 2026. The airline said that flights have resumed from major Indian metros and regional gateways, including Amritsar, Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Kannur, Lucknow, Mangaluru, Mumbai, Tiruchirappalli, Thiruvananthapuram, and Varanasi.

As a Tata Enterprise, Air India Express operates over 500 daily flights, linking 45 domestic hubs with 17 international destinations across South, Southeast, and West Asia. The carrier maintains a fleet of more than 100 Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 aircraft. Other major airlines, such as Air India and IndiGo, are also prepared to restart comprehensive operations at Doha's Hamad International Airport beginning 1 May.

This restoration follows exactly two months after the launch of 'Operation Epic Fury' on 28 February 2026, a joint US-Israeli military offensive aimed at the Iranian leadership and nuclear sites, which sparked a significant regional conflict. Indian carriers plan to resume operations at Hamad International Airport, Doha, as flight operations continue to expand.

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The Embassy of India Doha, Qatar, posted on X that this aviation expansion is a synchronised effort involving various international aeronautical organisations rather than an isolated initiative. Although flights restart on 1 May, the Embassy cautioned that timetables remain "subject to coordination with relevant authorities," noting that in the 2026 Middle East, stability requires constant negotiation.

Travellers are encouraged to remain proactive by staying in touch with airlines for live updates on schedules, terminal changes, and booking statuses. Despite its mediatory efforts, Qatar was caught in the hostilities, with Iranian strikes on 18 March compromising 17% of Qatar's LNG capacity at Ras Laffan, halting its energy and aviation sectors.

A fragile two-week truce, negotiated in Islamabad in mid-April and recently extended by President Trump, has created a "security window" sufficient for commercial insurers to approve the return of global airlines. The resumption of Indian flights—representing a neutral but essential regional presence—acts as a "soft" stabilising force to help revive the regional economy while nuclear negotiations remain deadlocked in Islamabad.

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IATA Warns of Potential Jet Fuel Shortages in Asia and Europe

IATA chief, Willie Walsh, warned on Wednesday of potential jet fuel shortages across Asia and Europe in the coming months. He noted that the extreme spike in fuel expenses is being increasingly passed on to passengers through higher ticket prices. Jet fuel, which represents a massive portion of airline overhead, has seen prices soar due to supply chain disruptions and geopolitical volatility stemming from the ongoing Middle East conflict.

Walsh is scheduled to transition from his role at IATA to become the CEO of IndiGo, India's largest airline, this August. According to Walsh, the financial burden of these "extraordinarily high" fuel costs is now a primary driver of rising airfares. While this has not impacted March traffic or forward bookings to date, it remains to be seen at what point high prices could start to shift passenger behaviour.