Air India Express Launches Three New Routes From Bengaluru Hub

Bengaluru’s Role in Air India Express’s Network Expansion

BENGALURU- Air India Express (IX) is strategically realigning its international route network with a pronounced emphasis on Bengaluru, its primary hub. The airline has unveiled plans for three new Gulf destinations while simultaneously discontinuing several existing services.

This strategic shift indicates that the airline is responding to evolving travel patterns and market demands.

New Routes from Bengaluru

Effective October 27, 2025, Air India Express will initiate services to three new destinations—Kuwait, Jeddah, and Riyadh. These flights will be operated three times per week using Boeing 737 MAX-8 aircraft.

The synchronization of these routes’ start dates aligns seamlessly with the winter 2025 schedule.

Kuwait Service (IX 870/871)

The Kuwait service will operate on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, featuring a late evening departure from Bengaluru at 22:20, arriving the following day at 00:50. The return flight is timed to depart Kuwait at 01:50, reaching Bengaluru by 09:20.

This timetable effectively caters to business travelers, allowing for a full workday in Bengaluru before departure, though the early morning return may pose challenges for some.

Jeddah Service (IX 939/940)

This route primarily targets the religious travel segment, operating flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Sundays. Flight IX 939 departs Bengaluru at 05:25 AM, arriving in Jeddah at 09:10 AM. The return flight leaves Jeddah at 10:10 AM, making it back to Bengaluru by 18:20.

The early morning departure facilitates maximizing pilgrims’ time at their destination while also ensuring a comfortable evening arrival back in Bengaluru.

Riyadh Service (IX 895/896)

The service to Riyadh will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, with flights leaving Bengaluru at 11:45 AM and arriving at 15:05 PM. The return leg takes off from Riyadh at 16:05, landing back in Bengaluru at 23:30.

This schedule is advantageous for business passengers, allowing them to arrive during working hours and reestablishes Bengaluru’s connectivity with Riyadh, which had been interrupted during the pandemic.

Network Rationalization Strategy

While expanding its routes from Bengaluru, Air India Express is also ceasing operations on other historically significant routes. From October 26, 2025, services to Dubai-Thiruvananthapuram, Abu Dhabi-Thiruvananthapuram, and Sharjah-Vijayawada will be terminated.

This decision also impacts other routes from Chennai and Trichy, marking a notable change as Air India Express has long catered to the Kerala-Gulf corridor.

These routes have served a substantial Malayali expatriate community, and the withdrawal may indicate either declining profitability or a strategic shift towards more lucrative markets.

Eliminating Sharjah-Vijayawada illustrates the difficulty in sustaining services from secondary cities that do not yield enough demand for dedicated aircraft.

Increased Frequencies to Other Destinations

As a counterbalance to the routes being dropped, Air India Express will enhance frequencies on existing services. The Varanasi-Sharjah route will experience a significant increase from 7 to 12 flights per week, reflecting strong demand from the North Indian religious tourism sector targeting UAE destinations.

Similarly, Jaipur-Dubai and Goa-Dubai services will be upgraded to daily operations, with each route seeing seven weekly flights. This shift indicates a strategic pivot towards the leisure and business travel sectors from these regions, as opposed to maintaining a primary focus on Kerala.

The airline will also amplify flights from Mangalore, adding services to five Gulf cities: Jeddah, Dammam, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Doha—bringing total weekly flights to these locations from 10 to 23.

Bengaluru as a Central Hub

Air India Express’s focus on Bengaluru underscores its growing significance within the airline’s network strategy. Known as India’s IT hub, Bengaluru generates considerable demand for business travel while also offering opportunities for leisure travel due to its population and economic expansion.

Selecting Gulf destinations aligns with commercial objectives, as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE host substantial Indian expatriate communities—ensuring a steady demand for flights. Additionally, the religious ties to Jeddah and the business relevance of Riyadh and Kuwait provide varied revenue streams beyond just expatriate travel.

Recently, Air India confirmed Bengaluru as a future hub, and the introduction of these new routes by Air India Express is a proactive step towards that vision.

With ongoing fleet modernization and the refurbishment of widebody aircraft, it appears that Air India Express is positioning itself as the main operator for medium-haul Gulf markets from Bengaluru. This strategy optimally addresses connectivity needs while Air India prepares its fleet for long-haul service expansion.