October 17, 2026 — Update: Air India and its low-cost arm Air India Express have pushed back the restart of their Saudi Arabia flights again. Services to Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam are now suspended until Saturday, October 24, up from the previous date of October 20.
What changed
The two airlines announced the extension in a travel advisory posted on X on Friday, October 17, citing the security situation in the region. Our October 16 report listed Air India’s suspension as running through October 20. The new date brings Air India in line with IndiGo, which is also suspended through October 24.
| Airline | Saudi cities suspended | Suspended until |
|---|---|---|
| Air India (AI) | Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam | October 24 (was October 20) |
| Air India Express (IX) | Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam | October 24 (was October 20) |
| IndiGo (6E), for comparison | Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Medina | October 24 |
| Akasa Air (QP), for comparison | Riyadh / Jeddah | October 24 / October 21 |
Rebooking and refunds
- Free date change: passengers with confirmed tickets issued on or before October 15, for travel between October 9 and October 25, get one date change at no charge, for travel up to November 10, 2026.
- Other Gulf airports: subject to seats, Air India passengers can switch to Dubai or Doha. Air India Express passengers can choose Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, Kuwait, Muscat, Ras Al Khaimah, Salalah or Sharjah. Travelers who switch must arrange their own onward transport and meet visa and entry rules.
- Refunds: passengers whose flights were cancelled can ask for a full refund if they no longer want to travel.
Background
Riyadh and Abha airports came under attack last week amid escalating hostilities between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthis. Cirium data cited by Siasat shows that more than 4,000 departures from Saudi Arabia were cancelled or grounded in the period starting October 8.
What it means for travelers
- No Air India or Air India Express flying to Riyadh, Jeddah or Dammam until at least October 24. Don’t plan travel on these routes before then, and expect the date could move again.
- Dubai, Doha and other Gulf flights will fill up. Ticketed passengers are being offered free switches to Gulf airports, so seats on Air India’s Dubai and Doha flights and Air India Express’s Gulf network are likely to get tighter.
- The restart will be busy. With two weeks of rebooked passengers who can travel up to November 10, the first Saudi flights back are likely to be full.
Sources
- Siasat Daily — Air India, AI Express extend Saudi flight suspension till Oct 24
- Business Today — Air India suspended flights to Saudi Arabia till Oct 24: What passengers need to know
- Gulf Business — Saudi flight cancellations: Latest list of affected airlines and routes
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