Air India has announced that it will operate 78 additional flights on nine long-haul and regional routes between 10 and 18 March. The emergency schedule—finalised on 8 March—adds 17,660 seats to the carrier’s network at a time when the Iran-Israel conflict has forced multiple airlines to cancel services that normally overfly West Asia. New York (JFK), London-Heathrow, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Zurich and Paris will each see extra Boeing 787-8 rotations, while Colombo and Malé will receive supplementary Airbus 320neo services. The flag-carrier said the ad-hoc capacity would “provide reliable travel options amid sustained high demand” from stranded business travellers, tourists and expatriates attempting to re-route around closed airspace. Travel managers report that corporate staff returning from European trade fairs have struggled to find seats after Gulf hubs imposed night-time curfews and insurers began restricting cover for flights routed near the conflict zone. By funnelling passengers through direct Europe-India services, Air India reduces exposure to hub-and-spoke choke-points, minimises journey times and limits unexpected transit-visa requirements.
![Air India Adds 78 Extra International Flights to Ease West-Asia Disruptions]()
VisaHQ can simplify that last piece of the puzzle: if travellers still need transit, business or tourist visas on short notice, its India platform (https://www.visahq.com/india/) offers rapid online applications, document checking, and courier services, giving mobility teams a single, reliable resource when schedules change at the eleventh hour.
The move also supports India’s wider evacuation and repatriation strategy by freeing up capacity on Gulf sectors for short-notice charters operated by its low-cost subsidiary Air India Express. For mobility teams, the message is clear: review March itineraries, prioritise point-to-point routings where possible, and brief employees on the higher-than-normal likelihood of last-minute schedule changes. Companies with time-critical projects in Europe should consider booking fully-flexible fares or blocking seats in advance, even if traveller names are finalised later.
VisaHQ can simplify that last piece of the puzzle: if travellers still need transit, business or tourist visas on short notice, its India platform (https://www.visahq.com/india/) offers rapid online applications, document checking, and courier services, giving mobility teams a single, reliable resource when schedules change at the eleventh hour.
The move also supports India’s wider evacuation and repatriation strategy by freeing up capacity on Gulf sectors for short-notice charters operated by its low-cost subsidiary Air India Express. For mobility teams, the message is clear: review March itineraries, prioritise point-to-point routings where possible, and brief employees on the higher-than-normal likelihood of last-minute schedule changes. Companies with time-critical projects in Europe should consider booking fully-flexible fares or blocking seats in advance, even if traveller names are finalised later.
