Flight suspensions between Air India and three Saudi Arabian destinations have been extended to 20 October, with ongoing regional instability keeping those routes grounded. A travel advisory published on Friday noted that the carrier's services connecting Riyadh, Dammam, and Jeddah — both inbound and outbound — would not resume before the newly announced date.
The Indian Embassy in Riyadh posted on X to confirm the suspension, while the airline noted it was tracking developments and reviewing conditions to establish when flights could safely return. In a statement, Air India said the welfare of passengers and crew was its foremost concern. The carrier confirmed that those whose travel plans were disrupted by the cancelled flights would receive complete reimbursement.
Drone and missile attacks attributed to Houthi forces in Yemen had unsettled confidence in the protection of aviation-related infrastructure across Saudi Arabia before the flight suspensions took effect. Attacks involving missiles and drones prompted airport authorities at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh to suspend flight operations through at least 17 October, according to media reports.
Following those strikes, carriers operating out of multiple nations moved to halt or pull back flights serving Saudi Arabia. Flight operations to other Saudi cities came under review by carriers as the fallout from the Riyadh disruption spread, with questions about aviation safety remaining unresolved across the region.
Air India did not cite specific incidents in connection with the move; the airline pointed instead to shifting conditions on the ground in Saudi Arabia as the reason behind the pulled flights. Riyadh, Dammam, and Jeddah routes operated by Air India will remain grounded under the terms of the suspension through 20 October 2026.
Passengers with bookings on routes linked to the affected cities during the suspension window are advised by the airline to confirm their flight's current status directly with the carrier before travelling to the airport. The airline indicated that 20 October marks the point at which scheduled cancellations are set to lift, and that it was keeping a close watch on how the situation developed before any flights would be restored.
Air India has confirmed that passengers affected by the flight cancellations are entitled to a full refund. Passengers who made bookings through Air India directly, or via a third-party travel agent, are advised to contact whichever channel handled their reservation to clarify how refunds will be processed and what arrangements apply to their ticket. Those travelling on connecting flights or return legs of a journey are advised to review whether the disruption extends to other parts of their booking before making new arrangements.
Other carriers operating under the Indian flag have also pulled scheduled services in response to the same regional disruption. IndiGo's flight suspensions covering four Saudi destinations — Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, and Madinah — are set to remain in place through 24 October, a news outlet has reported. Both Air India Express and Akasa Air have made scheduling changes on select routes serving Saudi Arabia.
Because suspension timelines and route coverage vary from one carrier to the next, travellers are advised by airlines to check directly with their carrier before drawing conclusions about whether their booked journey remains unaffected. A notice published by the Indian Embassy in Riyadh called on nationals in the country to stay indoors and comply with directives from local authorities in the event of any aerial attack. Travellers — among them those with Umrah pilgrimages planned — have been put on notice by authorities to expect the possibility of flight disruptions at short notice.
