CHENNAI: Air India Express’ Winter Schedule 2026 has disappointed Chennai air passengers, with the airline restoring only the Chennai-Singapore service among its previously operated Chennai routes, while flights to key destinations including Dubai, Sharjah, Dammam, Kuala Lumpur and several domestic cities remain suspended.
Air India Express’ new Winter Schedule 2026 has left Chennai out of several key international and domestic routes, even as the airline significantly expands its operations across the country.
The airline will roll out its Winter Schedule from October 25, increasing its operations from around 3,150 weekly flights in the Summer 2026 schedule to nearly 4,100 weekly flights during winter. The airline will operate around 585 flights a day, including approximately 435 domestic and up to 150 international departures.
However, the expanded schedule has brought little cheer to passengers in Chennai, with only the Chennai-Singapore route being reintroduced among the previously operated Chennai routes.
Air India and Air India Express had earlier operated services from Chennai to international destinations including Dubai, Sharjah, Dammam, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. These services were gradually reduced and subsequently discontinued.
Passengers had expected Air India Express to restore some of the previously operated Chennai international routes as part of its expanded Winter Schedule. However, flights from Chennai to Dubai, Sharjah, Dammam, Kuala Lumpur, Sri Lanka and the Maldives have not been included in the new schedule.
The Chennai-Singapore service, which had been suspended around three months ago, will resume from October 25 with 14 flights a week.
The Air India Express flight will depart from Chennai International Airport at 2.05 am daily, while the return service will depart Singapore at around 8 pm.
Air India and Air India Express had also operated domestic services from Chennai to Port Blair, Hyderabad, Thiruvananthapuram, Tiruchy, Coimbatore and Madurai. These Chennai services have also not been included in the new Winter Schedule.
Meanwhile, Air India Express is introducing new services connecting Bengaluru with Tamil Nadu cities. It will operate 14 flights a week between Bengaluru and Coimbatore and seven flights a week between Bengaluru and Madurai from October 25.
The airline said its Winter Schedule 2026 will expand its network to 65 stations and 220 routes, including more than 40 new routes. Its international network will also grow from 83 to more than 100 routes.
While Air India Express has substantially expanded its overall network, passengers in Tamil Nadu, particularly Chennai, have expressed disappointment that several previously available air connections have not been restored.