Brief

Air India and Air India Express extend Saudi flight suspensions to Oct 20

The Indian carriers will keep flights to three Saudi cities suspended until Oct 20, offering refunds or rescheduling to affected passengers.

By Felo News Desk · Published Sat, 17 Oct 2026 07:36:21 GMT

Air India and its low‑cost subsidiary Air India Express announced on Oct 16 that the suspension of services to Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam will now run until Oct 20, 2026, amid continuing regional security concerns.

Both airlines said they are monitoring the situation closely and will assess conditions to resume operations safely. Passengers whose flights have been cancelled will be offered full refunds; Air India Express also allows complimentary rescheduling.

The extension follows a wave of disruptions across Saudi Arabia after a series of airport attacks. Aviation analytics firm Cirium reported that more than 4,000 flights were cancelled or grounded between Oct 8 and Oct 15, with roughly 46 % of scheduled departures not operating. Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport saw 298 of 366 departures affected on Oct 15, a cancellation rate of over 81 %.

Earlier, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh had said on Oct 13 that Air India and Air India Express would suspend flights to the three cities until Oct 17. Other Indian carriers, such as Akasa Air and IndiGo, also announced temporary suspensions on Saudi routes.

Travelers are urged to check flight status directly with the airlines and keep contact details up to date on the carriers’ websites.

Key facts

Air India and Air India Express extended flight suspensions to Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam until Oct 20, 2026. (khaleejtimes.com)
Affected passengers can receive full refunds; Air India Express also offers complimentary rescheduling. (khaleejtimes.com)
Cirium data shows 46 % of 8,883 scheduled departures were cancelled between Oct 8‑15, with Riyadh airport losing 81 % of its flights on Oct 15. (khaleejtimes.com)

Timeline

2026-10-08 — Series of attacks on Saudi airports begin, triggering widespread cancellations.
2026-10-13 — Indian Embassy in Riyadh announced suspension of Air India and Air India Express flights until Oct 17.
2026-10-16 — Air India and Air India Express extend suspensions to Oct 20.