Air connectivity between India’s west coast and the Gulf is set to improve from March as Mangaluru International Airport (IXE) reinstates and expands multiple services. Air India Express will resume its twice-weekly Mangaluru–Muscat rotation from 1 March after an eight-month suspension that had forced Omani expatriates to transit via Bengaluru. The carrier will also ramp up Dammam flights from four to six weekly in March, turning daily in April, and temporarily double its Bahrain frequencies.
IndiGo, meanwhile, will restore daily operations on the Mangaluru–Abu Dhabi route, having cut frequencies earlier this month. On the domestic side, a third daily Mangaluru–Bengaluru sector will operate 13–26 March to feed onward international connections.
![Mangaluru International Airport restores Gulf routes and adds capacity ahead of summer peak]()
Before booking these new flights, travelers should remember that obtaining the correct travel documents can be just as important as finding a seat. VisaHQ can simplify the visa application process for destinations such as Oman, the UAE, Bahrain, and many more, offering quick online submissions and status tracking for applicants in India. Learn more at https://www.visahq.com/india/
The schedule shuffle reflects growing passenger demand from the coastal Karnataka diaspora working in the Middle East as well as rising trade activity through Mangaluru Port. Travel managers should note that seat availability on Muscat and Abu Dhabi sectors will increase by roughly 600 seats per week, easing fare pressure during Ramadan and the summer school holidays.
Airport officials said discussions are under way with carriers to introduce direct links to Jeddah and additional Southeast Asian destinations in the winter timetable, which could further enhance Mangaluru’s role as a secondary international gateway for southern India.
IndiGo, meanwhile, will restore daily operations on the Mangaluru–Abu Dhabi route, having cut frequencies earlier this month. On the domestic side, a third daily Mangaluru–Bengaluru sector will operate 13–26 March to feed onward international connections.
Before booking these new flights, travelers should remember that obtaining the correct travel documents can be just as important as finding a seat. VisaHQ can simplify the visa application process for destinations such as Oman, the UAE, Bahrain, and many more, offering quick online submissions and status tracking for applicants in India. Learn more at https://www.visahq.com/india/
The schedule shuffle reflects growing passenger demand from the coastal Karnataka diaspora working in the Middle East as well as rising trade activity through Mangaluru Port. Travel managers should note that seat availability on Muscat and Abu Dhabi sectors will increase by roughly 600 seats per week, easing fare pressure during Ramadan and the summer school holidays.
Airport officials said discussions are under way with carriers to introduce direct links to Jeddah and additional Southeast Asian destinations in the winter timetable, which could further enhance Mangaluru’s role as a secondary international gateway for southern India.
