Air India to reduce flight frequency to Oman, UAE and Qatar amid crew, plane shortage: Report

The airline has cancelled one weekly flight on both sides between Delhi and Muscat, Delhi and Dubai, and Delhi and Abu Dhabi from the last week of April to the end of May, the report said citing multiple sources.

An Air India official stated that the airline and Air India Express are aligning their networks, which has resulted in several Air India flights being cancelled, it said.

Air India has issued circulars to travel agents stating that it will not operate its weekly Delhi-Muscat flight on Saturdays from April 29 to May 27, and its weekly Delhi-Doha flights on Sundays from April 30 to May 28.

Further, the airline will not operate its Delhi-Dubai flight on Tuesdays from May 2 till May 30, and its Delhi-Abu Dhabi flights on Wednesdays from May 3 to May 31.

The report stated citing another Air India official that reducing flights to countries in West Asia is part of the airline's network restructuring efforts to maximize the use of its planes.

The official also mentioned that Air India has temporarily increased the number of flights between India and the UAE in April to capitalise on the passenger traffic during Eid-ul-Fitr.

Air India Express has also increased its number of services from Thiruvananthapuram to Dubai and Abu Dhabi from five to six, as reported by Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on April 12, the official said, the report added.

The first official stated that in the coming months, as Air India and AIX Connect (formerly AirAsia India) synchronize their networks, some flights between India and West Asian countries may be impacted, according to the report.

The Tata Group recently acquired Air India and the airline has been facing crew and plane shortages for the last six months as it tries to expand its international operations and grow its business.