Boeing 777 heads to Jeddah: Air India sends high-capacity aircraft to bring back Middle East passengers
A Boeing 777 aircraft with a capacity of close to 350 seats departed Mumbai for Jeddah this evening, says Air India
- Mar 3, 2026,
- Updated Mar 3, 2026 8:28 PM IST
Air India on Tuesday said it is deploying widebody aircraft with higher capacity on services to Jeddah and Dubai on March 3 and 4 to facilitate the return of passengers affected by the ongoing situation in the Middle East.
Also read: Hormuz risk may push India toward Russian oil again
A Boeing 777 aircraft with a capacity of close to 350 seats departed Mumbai for Jeddah this evening, the airline said. "This will be followed by a Boeing 787-9 with around 300 seats scheduled to depart Delhi for Dubai later tonight and another Boeing 787-8 aircraft with over 250 seats operating from Mumbai to Dubai in the early hours of 4 March."
Also read: Beyond Strait of Hormuz: How China-Iran rail system countered US threat
All the flights are expected to operate at full capacity on their return sectors on March 4, arriving at Mumbai and Delhi, respectively, the Tata-owned airline said, adding that it continues to monitor developments closely.
The move comes a day after the airline extended the suspension of all its flights to and from the Middle East through March 3 due to continued airspace closures linked to the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
The Iran war has significantly affected international travel. With multiple airspaces in the region closed, Indian airlines have cancelled 1,117 international flights over three days starting from February 28.
IndiGo, India's largest carrier by market share, also operated repatriation services on Tuesday. The airline said four repatriation flights were en route to Jeddah and another flight was expected to operate to and from Muscat later in the day. "For all other stations, IndiGo is closely monitoring the situation and working with the relevant authorities for local slots and permits to progressively restore its operational schedule," the airline said in a statement.
IndiGo said it plans to operate repatriation flights to cities in the United Arab Emirates on March 4, depending on the local situation and necessary approvals.
After suspending flights to the Middle East and parts of Europe, the airline said it would start reinstating select services to Muscat, Jeddah, Madinah and Athens, operating a total of 26 flights to and from these destinations.
Air India on Tuesday said it is deploying widebody aircraft with higher capacity on services to Jeddah and Dubai on March 3 and 4 to facilitate the return of passengers affected by the ongoing situation in the Middle East.
Also read: Hormuz risk may push India toward Russian oil again
A Boeing 777 aircraft with a capacity of close to 350 seats departed Mumbai for Jeddah this evening, the airline said. "This will be followed by a Boeing 787-9 with around 300 seats scheduled to depart Delhi for Dubai later tonight and another Boeing 787-8 aircraft with over 250 seats operating from Mumbai to Dubai in the early hours of 4 March."
Also read: Beyond Strait of Hormuz: How China-Iran rail system countered US threat
All the flights are expected to operate at full capacity on their return sectors on March 4, arriving at Mumbai and Delhi, respectively, the Tata-owned airline said, adding that it continues to monitor developments closely.
The move comes a day after the airline extended the suspension of all its flights to and from the Middle East through March 3 due to continued airspace closures linked to the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
The Iran war has significantly affected international travel. With multiple airspaces in the region closed, Indian airlines have cancelled 1,117 international flights over three days starting from February 28.
IndiGo, India's largest carrier by market share, also operated repatriation services on Tuesday. The airline said four repatriation flights were en route to Jeddah and another flight was expected to operate to and from Muscat later in the day. "For all other stations, IndiGo is closely monitoring the situation and working with the relevant authorities for local slots and permits to progressively restore its operational schedule," the airline said in a statement.
IndiGo said it plans to operate repatriation flights to cities in the United Arab Emirates on March 4, depending on the local situation and necessary approvals.
After suspending flights to the Middle East and parts of Europe, the airline said it would start reinstating select services to Muscat, Jeddah, Madinah and Athens, operating a total of 26 flights to and from these destinations.