Seven Mumbai pilgrims stranded in Saudi Arabia after flight cancellations

Seven Mumbai residents undertaking the Umrah pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia are worried and had to extend their stay after their scheduled return flight on October 13 was cancelled amid heightened security concerns in the region The group has now booked tickets on Saudia Airlines for October 16 The 13member group which left Mumbai on September 29 was informed by its ticketing agent that flight operations on its original route had been suspended until October 17Speaking to midday over the phone from Mecca the pilgrimage coordinator said the group had to make alternative arrangements to return to MumbaildquoAfter making enquiries I found that Saudia Airlines was operational To avoid further delays or inconvenience to the pilgrims we booked their tickets They will now travel via Saudia Airlines on October 16rdquo he saidA 45yearold passenger who was waiting to board a flight at Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Medina also told midday that his return journey had been disruptedldquoI travelled to Saudi Arabia for a pilgrimage on September 30 and was scheduled to return home on October 14 However my flight was cancelled and I had to rebook my ticket with another airline which was more expensive than my original bookingrdquo he saidHe added that his flight had been rescheduled twice on October 14 ldquoDespite the delays I am just hoping to reach home as soon as possiblerdquo he saidThe passenger said many Indians had travelled to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage and that some had panicked after hearing about the flight cancellations amid the prevailing situation Many were hoping to return home at the earliest he addedAn international ticketing agent who did not wish to be named said airlines had been helpful in processing refunds and rescheduling bookings However finding alternative flights to Mumbai remained challenging as tickets on other international carriers could be more expensive than those on Indian airlinesldquoThe airline agents were helpful and quick with refunds or rescheduling but the problem is rebooking flights to Mumbai with another airline which can sometimes be expensive compared with Indian airlinesrdquo the agent saidAir services suspendedAir India Air India Express IndiGo and Akasa Air have suspended services on several routes to and from Saudi Arabia until October 17 amid the evolving security situation This affected passengers with existing bookings According to the Indian Embassy in Riyadh King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh has suspended operations while airports in Dammam Jeddah and Medina continue to operate amid disruptions Scheduled Saudia flights from Dammam Jeddah and Medina are continuing to operateEmbassy issues safety advisoryThe Indian Embassy in Riyadh has urged Indian nationals to follow local authoritiesrsquo instructions remain indoors during aerial alerts and avoid sharing or reposting videos of ongoing events on social mediaThe advisory follows the October 10 attack at King Khalid International Airport in which Indian national Mohammed Yousef Ali was killed The Embassy said on October 13 that four injured Indian nationals remained in intensive care four were receiving treatment in general wards and three had been discharged Embassy officials have been visiting hospitals and maintaining contact with the injured and their familiesSaudi authorities have also agreed to waive overstay fines for Indian nationals holding visit tourist Umrah or business visas who were unable to leave because of flight disruptions according to the Embassy Affected travellers have been advised to depart as soon as flights become availableIndian nationals requiring emergency assistance can contact the Embassy in Riyadh or the Consulate General of India in Jeddah through their 24hour control roomsEmbassy issues safety advisoryThe Indian Embassy in Riyadh has urged Indian nationals to follow local authoritiesrsquo instructions remain indoors during aerial alerts andavoid sharing or reposting videos of ongoing events on social mediaThe advisory follows the October 10 attack at King Khalid International Airport in which Indian national Mohammed Yousef Ali was killed The Embassy said on October 13 that four injured Indian nationals remained in intensive care four were receiving treatment in general wards and three had been discharged Embassy officials have been visiting hospitals and maintaining contact with the injured and their familiesSaudi authorities have also agreed to waive overstay fines for Indian nationals holding visit tourist Umrah or business visas who were unable to leave because of flight disruptions according to the Embassy Affected travellers have been advised to depart as soon as flights become availableIndian nationals requiring emergency assistance can contact the Embassy in Riyadh or the Consulate General of India in Jeddah through their 24hour control roomsEmergency helplinesEmbassy of India RiyadhTelephone96655441201696654212678496611488469Tollfreewithin Saudi Arabia 8002471234WhatsAppmessages only966536216082EmailcwriyadhmeagovinConsulate General of India JeddahTelephone966122614093966556122301WhatsAppmessages only966536209704