Air India Express on Thursday reinstated flight operations to Qatar and Bahrain, while expanding connectivity to the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Saudi Arabia, signalling a major ramp-up in India-Gulf air travel ahead of the busy summer season.The restored and expanded services, effective from Thursday, are expected to significantly boost international flight connectivity, NRI travel, labour movement and low-cost travel options between India and the Gulf region.The airline has resumed operations from multiple Indian metros and tier-2 cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kozhikode, Kannur, Amritsar, Jaipur, Lucknow, Mangaluru, Varanasi, Thiruvananthapuram and Tiruchirappalli, reinforcing its position as a key player in India-Middle East aviation connectivity.Air India Express flights to the Gulf will operate across major hubs including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah and Al Ain in the UAE; Muscat in Oman; Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam in Saudi Arabia; as well as Doha and Manama, covering high-demand international sectors for Indian expatriates and business travellers.Under the revised schedule, Dubai will be connected to Kannur, Lucknow, Mangaluru and Tiruchirappalli, while Abu Dhabi flights will operate from Delhi, Kochi, Kozhikode, Mangaluru and Mumbai. Sharjah will see services from Amritsar, Jaipur, Kannur, Kozhikode and Varanasi, while Ras Al Khaimah will be linked with Kochi and Kozhikode. Al Ain will be connected to Kozhikode.Muscat will have direct connectivity from Delhi, Kannur, Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram. In Saudi Arabia, Jeddah will be served from Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kozhikode and Mangaluru, while Riyadh flights will operate from Kannur and Kochi. Dammam will be connected to Kochi, Kozhikode and Mangaluru.The reinstatement of flights to Doha from Kochi and Kozhikode and to Bahrain from Kannur and Kozhikode is expected to restore crucial air links for Indian workers and families in the Gulf, particularly from Kerala, which remains a major source of outbound international traffic.