India-UAE travel: Air India Express cancels two flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi from Kerala

Dubai: Air India Express cancelled two UAE-bound flights from Thiruvananthapuram International Airport on Sunday, citing operational reasons.

According to the airline’s website, flight IX 539 to Dubai, scheduled to depart at 4:45 pm, and flight IX 537 to Abu Dhabi, set for 8:35 pm, were both cancelled.

In a separate disruption, the airline’s Doha-bound flight experienced an 8-hour delay. Originally expected to arrive at 10:45 am, it is now scheduled to land at 6:40 pm, Manorama News reported, quoting Air India Express sources. The airline said all affected passengers were informed in advance.

Hyderabad–Phuket flight turns back mid-air

On Sunday, Air India Express flight IX 110 from Hyderabad to Phuket was forced to turn back just 16 minutes after take-off due to a technical issue. While all passengers and crew landed safely, the incident adds to a series of recent return-to-origin cases involving the airline this month.

On July 19, a similar technical glitch on the same route led to a diversion and delay, with an alternative aircraft arranged on priority and refreshments provided to passengers.

Over 80 Air India flights cancelled post-crash

According to a report by Bloomberg, more than 80 Air India flights were cancelled in the week following a recent crash, including those attributed to both technical and non-technical issues.

Passengers have also flagged faulty in-flight systems, last-minute cancellations, and poor communication from crew, fuelling a wider sense of unease about flight safety and service consistency.