Indian travelers traveling to Saudi Arabia may now have to change their plans. Air India and Air India Express, in a travel advisory issued on Friday, informed about stopping their services to Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah for different periods. According to the company, operations of flights to and from Riyadh and Dammam will be suspended till November 30, 2026, while air services to Jeddah will remain closed till November 21. This decision has been taken at a time when the operation of airlines is continuously being affected due to the security situation in the region.
To provide relief to passengers, airlines have also provided two options to ticket holders. Affected passengers can change their travel dates without additional charges based on seat availability. If they do not want to travel, they can also choose to cancel the ticket and get the full amount refunded. The company has announced this facility for eligible passengers traveling within the stipulated dates.
Ban on flights to Riyadh and Dammam till 30 November
According to Air India's new travel advisory, flights in both directions to Riyadh and Dammam will not be available till the last day of November. Passengers who have booked tickets for these cities will have to pay attention to the information issued by the airline before their journey.
In the case of Jeddah, the period of moratorium is currently fixed till November 21. That means, the date of resumption of flights is not the same for all three cities. Passengers are advised to confirm their booking status before leaving for the airport.
Two types of relief to ticket holders
Air India and Air India Express have made special arrangements for those passengers whose ticket booking was confirmed on or before 10 November 2026 and whose journey was scheduled in the affected period.
The first option before such passengers is to change the date of travel. As per the available seats they can choose another date without any extra charges. The second option is to cancel the ticket and get the full amount back. The purpose of this arrangement is to save the people affected by the closure of flights from financial loss.
Indigo and Akasa Air also changed schedules
The reduction in air services to Saudi Arabia is not limited to Air India only. Indigo had also announced on November 10 to extend the suspension of flights to and from Jeddah and Medina till November 21.
Akasa Air informed on Thursday that all its flights to Riyadh and Jeddah will be suspended till November 30. It is clear from the decisions of different airlines that regional conditions are impacting the operating schedules of many airlines.
Concern increased due to Houthi organization's claim of attacks
Amidst the ban on flights, Yemen's Houthi organization on Friday claimed that it targeted several targets in Saudi Arabia with drones and missiles. According to the organization, the targets included Aramco facilities in Riyadh, a military cargo plane based at Sharourah airport and Khamis Mushait air base.
On the other hand, the Saudi-led military coalition said that its forces intercepted and destroyed drones over the eastern region and Riyadh. Amidst these ongoing incidents in the region, aviation companies are making changes in flight operations keeping in mind the safety of passengers.