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Earlier email informed passengers booked to fly between August 16 and 22 that flights have been cancelled
Total chaos is ensuing in the wake of reports that Air India Express has cancelled several key flights scheduled to fly during the Eid holidays from the UAE.

Air India issued a statement this morning saying it has not cancelled flights during the Eid holidays, but is only rescheduling them.

“Passengers are being informed through SMS and email. We will get a clear picture about the reschedule within the next two days,” said Abhay Pathak, Air India’s Regional Manager of Gulf, Middle East and Africa.

However, when asked if passengers will all be accommodated on the dates they have booked on following the reschedule, Pathak failed to give a clear answer.

“We are still waiting for the slots. In two days we will get to know the exact schedule,” he added.

Emirates 24|7 had reported that passengers who had booked their tickets to fly on Air India Express between August 16 to 22 are being informed that their flights have been cancelled and they need to make alternate arrangements.

“They are asking us to either book alternate flights or are willing to postpone the dates.

"Otherwise they are even offering full refund. But it’s too late for us to find alternate bookings,” said one of the passengers.

Many travel agents too have said they are clueless about the situation.

Some passengers who had booked their tickets to fly between August 16 to 22 did recieve an email informing that their flights have been cancelled and they need to make alternate arrangements.

The airline did not give any reason for why it is cancelling the flights except that passengers are being informed well in advance and that they should look for alternate flights.

Following the cancellations, affected passengers will now have to pay more than 150 per cent to book flights on private airlines for the same dates. Most flights are fully booked for Eid holidays.

Jayanthan one of the passengers says he had planned his holidays well in advance and the announcement is nothing but a shocker. “Tickets are at its peak. A one way ticket to Calicut is now costing me Dh2,000 plus. I had initially booked the Air India Express ticket for Dh1000,” he said.

Meanwhile according to reports, Air India Express has announced new schedule of flight operating from the Middle East to Mangalore and Mumbai, effective July 23.

The Mangalore-Kuwait-Mangalore flight will operate on three days - Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and will depart at 5.45 pm from Mangalore.

The Mangalore Bahrain flight will now operate on Saturdays and will depart Mangalore at 10 am.

The Mumbai flight will operate on Mondays and will depart at 10.30 am.