Air India extends suspension of Saudi Arabia flights until October 24 amid security concerns

Air India and Air India Express have prolonged their shortterm suspension of flights to and from Jeddah Riyadh and Dammam in Saudi Arabia until October 24 whilst the Houthi rebels strike in the West Asian countryIn a travel advisory Air India said that the bookings done on or before October 15 with travel dates between October 9 and 25 are eligible for a onetime free of charge date change up to November 10TravelAdvisory In view of the prevailing situation Air India and Air India Express have temporarily suspended flights to and from Jeddah Riyadh and Dammam until 24 October 2026 We understand that these disruptions may affect our guests travel plans and are committed to providing as much flexibility as possible during this period Guests holding confirmed Air India or Air India Express bookings issued on or before 15 October 2026 with travel dates between 9 October and 25 October 2026 are eligible for a onetime complimentary date change on their respective airline up to 10 November 2026 Guests who do not wish to rebook on the originally preferred sector for a future date may instead choose to rebook from an alternative station in the GCC region served by their respective airline subject to availability Guests choosing the latter option are required to make their own travel arrangements to get to their preferred alternative point of departure and meet the applicable visa and entry requirements Air India guests may rebook to or from Dubai or Doha Air India Express guests may rebook to or from Abu Dhabi Al Ain Bahrain Doha Dubai Kuwait Muscat Ras Al Khaimah Salalah or Sharjah Guests whose flights have been cancelled may also opt for a full refund if they choose not to travel Our teams are available through our contact centres AI Contact Centre 91 1169329333 91 1169329999 AIX Contact Centre 91 124 6935600 and city booking offices in GCC stations and India to assist with rebooking and refund requests We continue to closely monitor the situation and will keep guests informed of any further updates Our priority remains to support affected guests minimise inconvenience and help them continue their journeys with suitable travel optionsmdash Air India airindia October 17 2026Air India stated In view of the prevailing situation Air India and Air India Express have temporarily suspended flights to and from Jeddah Riyadh and Dammam until 24 October 2026 We understand that these disruptions may affect our guests travel plans and are committed to providing as much flexibility as possible during this periodrdquoldquoGuests holding confirmed Air India or Air India Express bookings issued on or before 15 October 2026 with travel dates between 9 October and 25 October 2026 are eligible for a onetime complimentary date change on their respective airline up to 10 November 2026 Guests who do not wish to rebook on the originally preferred sector for a future date may instead choose to rebook from an alternative station in the GCC region served by their respective airline subject to availabilityrdquo the statement readThe passengers can also choose for a different destination in West Asia with the airline stating ldquoGuests choosing the latter option are required to make their own travel arrangements to get to their preferred alternative point of departure and meet the applicable visa and entry requirements Air India guests may rebook to or from Dubai or Doha Air India Express guests may rebook to or from Abu Dhabi Al Ain Bahrain Doha Dubai Kuwait Muscat Ras Al Khaimah Salalah or Sharjah Guests whose flights have been cancelled can also ask for a full refund if they choose not to travelrdquoldquoWe continue to closely monitor the situation and will keep guests informed of any further updates Our priority remains to support affected guests minimise inconvenience and help them continue their journeys with suitable travel optionsrdquo Air India saidNumerous airlines face disruptions to Saudi ArabiaSeveral airlines as well as IndiGo and Akasa Air have also temporarily halted their operations in Saudi ArabiaThe disruptions come after the October 10 attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with the death toll rising to 13 after the Indian Embassy in Riyadh confirmed that an Indian national who had been injured in the incident diedAs the conflict worsens Yemens internationally recognised government on Friday accused the Houthi militia of targeting Aden International Airport with two missiles that landed near a Yemenia Airlines aircraft preparing for takeoff to Cairo according to the countrys Information Minister Moammar AlEryani