Air India Express launches direct flights from Bengaluru to Jeddah, Riyadh, and Kuwait, enhancing South India’s air links to the Middle East.
Air India Express has announced the launch of direct flights from Bengaluru to three new destinations in the Middle East — Jeddah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait — as part of its ongoing international expansion.
Services to Jeddah will begin on October 26, 2025, while flights to Riyadh and Kuwait will commence on October 27, 2025, strengthening connectivity between South India and the Middle East.
New routes and schedule
The airline has released the detailed schedule for the new flights, all operating on multiple weekly frequencies:
Effective October 26, 2025 (local time):
- Bengaluru–Jeddah: Departs 17:45 / Arrives 21:30 (Mon, Thu, Sun)
- Jeddah–Bengaluru: Departs 22:30 / Arrives 06:40 (Mon, Thu, Sun)
Effective October 27, 2025 (local time):
- Bengaluru–Kuwait: Departs 22:20 / Arrives 00:50 (Mon, Tue, Thu)
- Bengaluru–Riyadh: Departs 21:00 / Arrives 00:20 (Mon, Wed, Fri)
Effective October 28, 2025 (local time):
- Kuwait–Bengaluru: Departs 01:50 / Arrives 09:20 (Tue, Wed, Fri)
- Riyadh–Bengaluru: Departs 01:20 / Arrives 08:55 (Tue, Thu, Sat)**
Strengthening regional connectivity
The new services aim to benefit Indian expatriates, business travellers, and families visiting friends and relatives across Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. The direct Jeddah service will also provide convenient connectivity for Umrah pilgrims from Bengaluru.
In addition to catering to strong outbound demand for Kuwait, the new routes are expected to support growing interest among Indian travellers in exploring Saudi Arabia’s cultural and heritage attractions, aligning with the kingdom’s expanding tourism landscape.
Passengers from Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kannur, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, and Tiruchirappalli can also connect conveniently to Jeddah, Kuwait, and Riyadh via Bengaluru.
Expanding Bengaluru as a key hub
This latest expansion builds on Air India Express’ continued growth from Bengaluru, which has recently seen the introduction of new flights to Kathmandu, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, and Dehradun. Upcoming services to Bangkok (from October 18, 2025) and Jodhpur and Udaipur (from November 1, 2025) further reinforce the city’s role as one of the airline’s fastest-growing hubs.
Air India Express currently operates over 440 weekly flights from Bengaluru, connecting directly to 35 domestic destinations and seven international cities, including Abu Dhabi, Bangkok, Dammam, Jeddah, Kathmandu, Kuwait, and Riyadh.