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Why it matters
Lakhs of Indians live and work in Saudi Arabia, and Umrah pilgrims travel there every week. With every Indian airline off at least some Saudi routes into November, families face longer stays, rebooking costs and uncertainty. Knowing the exact dates, refund options, the no-fine rule for forced overstays and whom to call can save money and stress.
Saudi flight suspension dates moved again on 24 October 2026: Air India and Air India Express will not fly to or from Riyadh and Dammam until 7 November, and Jeddah stays off their network until 31 October. IndiGo has cancelled all four of its Saudi cities until 31 October, while Akasa Air has pushed its Riyadh break to 30 November. Umrah pilgrims and Indian workers are trying to plan journeys around these dates as Houthi missile and drone attacks on Saudi airports continue.
Saudi flight suspension dates for each Indian airline
Air India announced its latest extension in a post on X on Saturday, the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency reported. Passengers whose confirmed tickets were issued on or before 24 October can rebook without a penalty or cancel for a full refund, the airline said. Its earlier cut-off for all Saudi routes had been 24 October.
IndiGo first said on 23 October that Riyadh flights would stay cancelled until 31 October and the other three cities until 27 October. A day later, after what it called a careful assessment, it moved Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah to 31 October as well, the news agency Asian News International (ANI) reported. That leaves IndiGo flights to Saudi Arabia fully off for the rest of the month. The Indian Embassy in Riyadh repeated the IndiGo dates in its own post.
Akasa Air, the smallest of the three, has the longest pause. Its Jeddah flights are off until 10 November and its Riyadh flights until 30 November, according to the airline’s travel update on 23 October.
| Airline | Riyadh | Dammam | Jeddah | Madinah |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air India, Air India Express | 7 Nov | 7 Nov | 31 Oct | No service listed |
| IndiGo | 31 Oct | 31 Oct | 31 Oct | 31 Oct |
| Akasa Air | 30 Nov | No service listed | 10 Nov | No service listed |
On NewsPlainly’s count from 25 October, that means 6 more days without IndiGo to any Saudi city, 13 days without Air India to Riyadh and Dammam, and 36 days without Akasa to Riyadh, if the dates hold. Every one of these dates has already been pushed back at least twice this month.
Why the Saudi flight suspension keeps getting longer
The trouble began on 10 October, when an attack on Riyadh airport (King Khalid International Airport) killed an Indian national and injured several others. Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), the country’s aviation regulator, then suspended operations at Riyadh airport, the embassy’s advisory of 13 October says. A later strike at Dammam airport killed one more Indian, the embassy said on 22 October, as NewsPlainly reported.
The pattern of extensions shows how quickly plans for Air India flights, IndiGo flights and Akasa services have changed:
- 13 October: Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo and Akasa all suspended Saudi flights until 17 October.
- 18 October: the Consulate General of India in Jeddah said Air India, Air India Express and IndiGo had moved the date to 24 October, and Akasa to 27 October.
- 23 October: IndiGo extended Riyadh to 31 October; Akasa extended Jeddah to 10 November and Riyadh to 30 November.
- 24 October: Air India extended Riyadh and Dammam to 7 November and Jeddah to 31 October; IndiGo moved its other three cities to 31 October.
The threat did not ease on the day of the latest extensions. On 24 October, Saudi Civil Defence sent early warning alerts for Mecca, Jeddah, Yanbu and Taif, and later said the danger had passed in each. Major General Turki Al-Malki, spokesperson of the Saudi-led coalition, said air defences destroyed two ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis, the Iran-aligned rebel group that controls much of Yemen, towards Taif and Yanbu, ANI reported.
Riyadh airport reopens terminals as Houthis repeat warning
Riyadh airport said in a passenger update late on 24 October that from Sunday, 25 October, Terminal 1 would handle domestic flights and Terminal 2 international flights run by national carriers. It asked travellers with bookings to confirm their flight with the airline before setting out, the Times of India reported.
Hours later, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a post on X that the group still considered the airport a military target and warned airlines, staff and passengers against using it. The group has also claimed attacks on Dammam airport, an Aramco site in Yanbu and the Rabigh refinery; these claims have not been independently confirmed. Saudi authorities have not commented on the latest warning.
Saudi carriers have been flying from Riyadh airport in limited numbers since 21 October, when it reopened to them, the Associated Press reported, citing flight tracking data. Foreign airlines such as Lufthansa and Air France have cancelled their Riyadh services until mid-November.
What Umrah pilgrims stuck in Saudi Arabia can do
Umrah pilgrims make up a large share of the Indians whose return flights were cancelled by the Saudi flight suspension. The Consulate General of India in Jeddah, in its advisory of 24 October, listed the help available:
- Control rooms: round-the-clock help desks run in Jeddah and Makkah. The embassy’s advisory gives the Jeddah numbers as +966 12 2614093 and +966 556122301, with WhatsApp messages on +966 536209704. The Riyadh control room is on +966 554412016, or 8002471234 toll free from within Saudi Arabia.
- Problems with hotels or services: call the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah’s Pilgrim Care Centre on 1966 (works only inside Saudi Arabia), get a case reference number and share it with the consulate’s control room.
- Other airlines: the consulate is putting Indian Umrah tour operators in touch with airlines still flying to India. Its 18 October update named Saudia from Jeddah, Madinah and Dammam, Flynas from Dammam to Delhi, Mumbai and Lucknow, and flyadeal from Dammam to Mumbai, all subject to seats and fares.
- Refunds and rebooking: these go through the airline, travel agent or Umrah operator, and the consulate says it is in touch with Indian airlines about refunds.
One detail in the embassy’s 13 October advisory has received little attention. Saudi authorities told the embassy that Indians on visit, tourist, Umrah or business visas who are forced to overstay because there are no flights will be allowed to leave without paying fines. The same advisory asks anyone whose visa has expired to leave as soon as a flight is available. The consulate said on 24 October that it is still working with Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and foreign ministry on visa extensions and delayed departures.
The embassy’s general safety advice also stands: stay indoors during an aerial attack, follow local authorities, and do not film or share videos of the attacks. Saudi Civil Defence has asked residents to call 911 in an emergency.
When Air India flights and IndiGo flights to Saudi Arabia may resume
No airline has given a firm restart date. Each extension so far has been announced a day or two before the previous one ran out, so the next decisions to watch are IndiGo’s and Air India’s on Jeddah around 31 October, and Air India’s on Riyadh and Dammam before 7 November. The Ministry of External Affairs said on 23 October that the embassy and consulate were working with airlines and tour operators to bring stranded pilgrims home.
Umrah pilgrims and other travellers with tickets after these dates are being told by the airlines and the embassy to check flight status directly before leaving for the airport, since schedules can change at short notice.
Frequently asked questions
Until when are Air India flights to Saudi Arabia suspended?
Air India and Air India Express flights to and from Riyadh and Dammam are suspended until 7 November 2026, and to and from Jeddah until 31 October 2026.
Will I get a refund for a cancelled Saudi flight?
Air India says passengers with confirmed tickets issued on or before 24 October can rebook without penalty or cancel for a full refund.
Will Umrah pilgrims be fined for overstaying their visa?
The Indian embassy says Saudi authorities will let Indians on visit, tourist, Umrah or business visas who overstay because of no flights leave without fines, but they should leave as soon as flights are available.
Whom can stranded Indians in Saudi Arabia call?
The Jeddah consulate's control room is on +966 12 2614093 and +966 556122301; the Riyadh embassy's on +966 554412016 or toll free 8002471234 within Saudi Arabia. For hotel or service problems, call the Saudi pilgrim helpline 1966.