Air India Express Adds Three New Routes from Bengaluru Hub

BENGALURU- Air India Express (IX) is reshaping its international network with a clear focus on Bengaluru, its largest hub. The airline has announced three new Gulf routes while simultaneously ending several other services.

These moves signal a shift in the carrier’s network strategy as it adapts to changing travel patterns and demand dynamics.

Photo: Air India Express

Air India Express New Routes from Bengaluru

Starting October 27, 2025, Air India Express will launch services to three new routes. The airline will connect Kuwait, Jeddah, and Riyadh from Bengaluru, all operated three times weekly with Boeing 737 MAX-8 aircraft.

The timing appears coordinated, with all three routes beginning on the same date as part of the winter 2025 schedule.

Kuwait Service (IX 870/871) The Kuwait route will operate on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays with a late evening departure from Bengaluru at 22:20, arriving in Kuwait at 00:50 the next day. The return flight departs Kuwait at 01:50 and reaches Bengaluru at 09:20 in the morning.

This schedule works well for business travelers who can have a full day in Bengaluru before departing, though the early morning arrival might be challenging for some passengers.

Jeddah Service (IX 939/940) The Jeddah route targets the religious travel market with Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday operations. Flight IX 939 departs Bengaluru at 05:25 am in the morning, arriving in Jeddah at 09:10 am. The return service leaves Jeddah at 10:10, reaching Bengaluru at 18:20 in the evening.

The early morning departure allows pilgrims to maximize their time at their destination, while the evening return provides a comfortable arrival time.

Riyadh Service (IX 895/896) The Saudi capital gets Monday, Wednesday, and Friday flights with departures from Bengaluru at 11:45 am, arriving in Riyadh at 15:05 pm. Return flights leave Riyadh at 16:05 and reach Bengaluru at 23:30.

This midday timing works well for business travelers who prefer arriving during regular business hours. Bengaluru regains connection to Riyadh, which it had lost during the time of COVID-19.

Photo: avgeekwithlens/ Harsh Tekriwal

Network Rationalization Strategy

While expanding from Bengaluru, Air India Express is simultaneously ending other routes that have traditionally been important for the carrier. From October 26, 2025, the airline will discontinue Dubai-Thiruvananthapuram, Abu Dhabi-Thiruvananthapuram, and Sharjah-Vijayawada services.

The airline is also ending several other routes from Chennai and Trichy as well. The decision to drop their traditional Kerala routes is particularly significant given Air India Express’s historical roots in serving the Kerala-Gulf corridor.

These routes have been operated for years, serving the large Malayali expatriate community in the Gulf. The move suggests either declining profitability or aircraft redeployment to more lucrative markets.

Ending Sharjah-Vijayawada also reflects the challenges of maintaining secondary city connections that may not generate sufficient demand to justify dedicated aircraft deployment.

Frequency Increases Elsewhere

Photo: avgeekwithlens/ Harsh Tekriwal

To partially offset the dropped routes, Air India Express is increasing frequencies on other services. Varanasi-Sharjah will see a significant boost from 7 to 12 weekly flights, nearly doubling the service level. This increase suggests strong demand from North India’s religious tourism market for UAE destinations.

Both Jaipur-Dubai and Goa-Dubai will increase from their current levels to daily operations (7 weekly flights each). These moves indicate the airline sees better growth potential in serving leisure and business markets from these destinations rather than maintaining the traditional Kerala focus.

The airline is also increasing its flights from Mangalore, a coastal city in the Indian state of Karnataka. Five gulf cities – Jeddah, Dammam, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Doha—will see an increase. In total, the airline will increase flights to 23 weekly flights to these 5 cities from 10 weekly now.

Bengaluru Hub Strategy

The concentration of new international routes at Bengaluru reflects the city’s growing importance in Air India Group’s network. As India’s IT capital, Bengaluru generates substantial business travel demand, while its large population and economic growth create leisure travel opportunities.

The choice of Gulf destinations makes commercial sense. Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE host large Indian expatriate populations, creating consistent demand for travel. The religious significance of Jeddah and the business importance of Riyadh and Kuwait provide multiple revenue streams beyond just expatriate travel.

Air India recently announced Bengaluru as one of its future hubs, and the growing concentration of new routes by Air India Express appears to be an early step in that direction.

With Air India’s ongoing widebody refurbishment program and fleet modernization, the group seems to be positioning Air India Express as the primary operator for medium-haul Gulf markets from Bengaluru. This ensures connectivity while Air India focuses on preparing its fleet for long-haul expansion.

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