Riyadh and Dammam flights halted through November 30
Air India and Air India Express have extended flight suspensions to and from Riyadh and Dammam through November 30, 2026, and Jeddah through November 21, as tensions involving Yemen's Houthi militia disrupt travel to Saudi Arabia. Their November 13 advisory gives eligible passengers a choice between a full refund upon cancellation and complimentary rescheduling, with revised journeys allowed into December.
Contents
- Riyadh and Dammam flights halted through November 30
- Which flights are suspended?
- Who qualifies for a refund or free change?
- New travel can extend into December
- How passengers can obtain assistance
- How the extensions unfolded
- What the Houthis claimed to have targeted
- What the Saudi-led coalition said
- What to Know
The two airlines join IndiGo and Akasa Air in extending cancellations. IndiGo has suspended Riyadh and Dammam services through November 30 and Jeddah and Madinah services through November 21. Akasa's latest extension covers Riyadh and Jeddah through November 30, giving travelers different cancellation periods even when they are heading to the same city.
The announcements follow Houthi claims of drone and missile attacks against Saudi oil and military facilities. The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted and destroyed two drones, one over the Riyadh area and another over the Eastern Province.
For passengers, the immediate decisions concern their airline, destination, ticket issue date and ability to travel later. Air India's arrangements allow some travelers to switch to another operating airport, while Air India Express also permits eligible changes involving Bahrain.
Which flights are suspended?
Air India and Air India Express previously had suspensions covering Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah through November 14. Their new advisory extends the Riyadh and Dammam cancellations by 16 calendar days and the Jeddah cancellations by seven.
The latest announced suspension periods are:
- Air India and Air India Express: Riyadh and Dammam through November 30; Jeddah through November 21.
- IndiGo: Riyadh and Dammam through November 30; Jeddah and Madinah through November 21.
- Akasa Air: Riyadh and Jeddah through November 30.
Jeddah passengers face the largest difference between the airlines' current end dates. Akasa's suspension runs nine calendar days beyond the November 21 date announced by Air India, Air India Express and IndiGo. The airlines have not confirmed when services will actually resume.
Who qualifies for a refund or free change?
Air India and Air India Express have set two conditions for their stated refund and rescheduling options: passengers must hold confirmed bookings issued on or before November 10, 2026, and their travel must fall within the relevant suspension period.
For Riyadh and Dammam, the travel date must be on or before November 30. For Jeddah, it must be on or before November 21. Eligible passengers can cancel for a full refund or choose complimentary rescheduling, subject to seat availability.
The ticket issue date and departure date serve different purposes. The first identifies when the booking was issued; the second identifies when the passenger was due to fly. A passenger checking eligibility therefore needs to look at both dates, rather than the destination alone.
Air India introduced the extension in its travel advisory with the following explanation:
Due to the prevailing situation in the region, Air India and Air India Express flights to and from Riyadh and Dammam will remain suspended until 30 November 2026.
The stated refund and change arrangements apply to Air India and Air India Express. Akasa Air has offered affected passengers a full refund or rescheduling at no additional cost. The airline said refunds would be credited to the original payment source within seven days.
New travel can extend into December
Air India passengers who qualify may reschedule to or from any operational Air India station in Saudi Arabia. Air India Express passengers may reschedule to or from any operational station served by that airline in Saudi Arabia or Bahrain.
The Bahrain option gives Air India Express customers a wider geographical choice, but the replacement flight must be operating and have seats available. A change of airport can also alter the rest of a journey, including the passenger's route to their final destination.
Revised travel for Riyadh and Dammam bookings may be completed up to December 14, 2026. Revised travel for Jeddah bookings may be completed up to December 5. Each deadline falls 14 calendar days after the corresponding suspension end date.
These December dates are deadlines for completing revised travel under the announced arrangements. They matter for passengers who can postpone a visit or return journey instead of cancelling it, particularly when seats on the first available services are limited.
How passengers can obtain assistance
Air India has listed two customer support numbers for help with rescheduling or refunds: +91 11 69329333 and +91 11 69329999. Air India Express customers can call +91 124 6935600. Passengers can also approach the airlines' city booking offices.
A traveler seeking a change will need to consider the permitted destination, available seats and the December completion deadline together. A later flight to a different airport may suit one passenger, while a full refund may be more useful to someone whose trip depended on a fixed date.
IndiGo said affected customers were being notified through the contact details supplied when they booked. Its announcement cited security and safety considerations and said the airline would continue monitoring developments.
In its November 10 advisory published through its official X account, IndiGo said:
Following a careful assessment of the safety and security considerations, IndiGo has further extended the suspension of flights to and from Jeddah and Madinah until November 21, 2026 (inclusive), and Riyadh and Dammam until 30 November 2026 (inclusive),
The airline said affected passengers would be assisted with ticket re-accommodation, refunds and alternative travel arrangements.
Akasa passengers who booked through travel agents or other travel partners have been advised to contact them directly for assistance with cancellations, refunds and rescheduling.
IndiGo described its priorities in its statement:
The safety and security of our customers and crew remain our highest priority. We continue to closely monitor the situation and will share further updates as necessary.
How the extensions unfolded
The airlines announced changes over several days. Akasa's earlier Jeddah suspension ran through November 18, before its latest announcement extended that date to November 30. Its Riyadh suspension was already scheduled to run through November 30.
The main dates in the sequence are:
- November 10: IndiGo announced an extension covering Jeddah and Madinah through November 21, with Riyadh and Dammam suspended through November 30.
- November 12: Akasa extended suspensions for Riyadh and Jeddah through November 30. The Saudi-led coalition also announced the interception of two Houthi drones.
- November 13: Air India and Air India Express announced their extended suspension periods and passenger assistance arrangements. Houthi statements described claimed attacks on Saudi targets.
- November 21 and November 30: The airlines' current suspension periods end on different dates, depending on the route and carrier.
- December 5 and December 14: The deadlines for completing eligible revised Jeddah and Riyadh or Dammam journeys, respectively.
The sequence explains why an earlier cancellation notice may show a different date from the latest advisory. For Akasa passengers traveling to Jeddah, the extension from November 18 to November 30 adds 12 calendar days to the previously announced disruption.
What the Houthis claimed to have targeted
Houthi military spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree described several operations in statements issued on Telegram. He claimed a drone had targeted Aramco facilities in Riyadh and said the operation had achieved its objective.
Saree's statement about the Saudi capital said:
Our armed forces have just targeted the Aramco company in the enemy Saudi capital, Riyadh, with a drone, and the operation achieved its objective successfully,
Saree also claimed a drone attack on a military cargo aircraft at Sharurah Airport and a ballistic missile strike on Khamis Mushait Air Base. A ballistic missile is a weapon propelled into the air that follows a curved flight path toward its target; a drone is an aircraft operated without a pilot on board.
The Houthi spokesperson further claimed that the group had again targeted pumping station number 7 on Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline with a drone. Pumping stations help move oil through pipelines, placing this claimed target within the country's energy transport network.
The claims covered both military locations and oil infrastructure. Saree described successful strikes, while the coalition's statements described interceptions over Riyadh and eastern Saudi Arabia.
What the Saudi-led coalition said
Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki said on November 12 that air defence forces had intercepted and destroyed two drones launched by the Houthis. One was destroyed over the Riyadh area and the other over the Eastern Province.
The coalition also issued updates on X describing a drone destroyed in the Eastern Region and another intercepted in the Riyadh area. Its Riyadh update attributed the launch to the Houthi militia.
No further details were given about damage or casualties connected with those drone interceptions. The airlines' advisories focused on the regional security situation and the resulting flight suspensions.
The escalation comes amid renewed fighting in Yemen. Fighting between Yemeni government forces and the Houthis resumed in July, ending a period of relative calm that had prevailed since April 2022. UN reports cited in accounts of the renewed hostilities put the number of people killed or wounded at 12,000.
Yemen's conflict dates back to the Houthi seizure of Sanaa and several provinces in September 2014. A Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened in March 2015 in support of the Yemeni government. The latest disruption extends the conflict's practical effects to passengers whose journeys connect India and Saudi Arabia.
What to Know
- Air India and Air India Express have suspended Riyadh and Dammam flights through November 30, 2026, and Jeddah flights through November 21.
- IndiGo has the same dates for those cities and has also suspended Madinah flights through November 21.
- Akasa's Riyadh and Jeddah suspensions run through November 30.
- Eligible Air India and Air India Express bookings issued on or before November 10 qualify for complimentary rescheduling, subject to availability, or a full refund upon cancellation.
- Revised travel must be completed by December 14 for Riyadh and Dammam bookings, or December 5 for Jeddah bookings.
- IndiGo is offering assistance with re-accommodation, refunds and alternative travel arrangements; Akasa offers free rescheduling or full refunds credited to the original payment source within seven days.
- The Houthis claimed attacks on Saudi oil and military targets; the Saudi-led coalition said it destroyed two drones over Riyadh and eastern Saudi Arabia.
