After three consecutive days of cancellations, Air India Express finally resumed its Dubai-Lucknow service on Thursday. Flight IX-193 departed Lucknow about 30 minutes late but landed in Dubai on time, offering some respite after days of disruption.
Since Monday, flights IX-193 (Lucknow to Dubai) and IX-194 (Dubai to Lucknow) have been grounded without any clear explanation, leaving passengers stranded and scrambling for alternatives.
Travellers say the airline has failed to provide timely updates or viable solutions. Some said they were offered either a full refund or a seat on a later flight — options that fall short when the travel is time-sensitive.
“What am I supposed to do with a refund when I have already paid for hotels and scheduled appointments?” said an expat whose flight was cancelled.
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In the past week alone, Air India Express has reportedly cancelled at least 13 flights across key routes, including Delhi, Mumbai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah. Passengers across airports have been left to wait for hours, often without any clear communication or support from staff.
Flight IX-193 typically departs Lucknow at 9am and reaches Dubai by 11.30am, while IX-194 is scheduled to leave Dubai at 2.35am and arrive in Lucknow by 7.40am. Both flights were cancelled for three straight days before operations resumed Thursday.
Air India Express has also come under fire for its handling of previous cancellations. Mariya Fatima, a resident of Ajman, said her Lucknow-bound flight was cancelled on June 16 after passengers had already boarded the aircraft in Dubai. “I was stuck inside the plane for hours through the night,” she recalled. “Eventually they told us to disembark as the flight had been cancelled. No one gave a proper reason. I was travelling with my toddler son and had no idea what to do next.”
In response to Khaleej Times’ query, an Air India Express spokesperson said the cancellations were due to external factors beyond the airline’s control.
“Air India Express has progressively resumed its flights to the Middle East following the reopening of airspaces in the region. Our Dubai-Lucknow flights were earlier cancelled owing to air traffic congestion due to the closure of the airspace over Iran. We provide advance notification to guests on their registered contact details with the airline.
In a separate incident, the Dubai-Lucknow flight on June 16 was cancelled due to delayed ATC clearances from Dubai and a subsequent NOTAM at Lucknow Airport. Impacted guests were provided with multiple options, including alternative flights to nearby airports, a full refund on cancellation, or complimentary rescheduling to another date with hotel accommodation and meals. Air India Express regrets the inconvenience caused due to circumstances beyond its control.
