NEW DELHI: If you hold an Air India ticket to Saudi Arabia, your trip is on hold. The airline has cancelled every flight to and from Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah till October 20, saying the situation in the kingdom keeps changing.
“We are closely monitoring developments,” the airline said, adding that services will restart only when it is safe to do so. Passengers will get a full refund.
Getting your money back
How you claim depends on how you booked. Website and app customers can go to Manage Booking. If a travel agent or a third-party site sold you the ticket, they must raise the request. Bought it at an Air India counter? Go back to the same office.
For website and app bookings, the refund support portal shows progress under “Status Check on Pending Refund”. Everyone else should ask their agent or ticketing office. The money goes back to the account you paid from. If that account has been closed, give fresh bank details to an Air India agent at the ticketing office.
Why now
Trouble began last week, when reports of explosions came in from Riyadh, including a loud blast at the international airport. Air India, Akasa Air and IndiGo suspended or trimmed their flights to the city soon after.
Others are staying away too
Air India is not the only carrier backing off. Air France-KLM has stretched its Riyadh suspension to the end of October, and Philippine Airlines will not fly there before November 29. Etihad has cancelled all Abu Dhabi-Riyadh flights, along with 10 to Dammam and Jeddah, till October 19.
Shorter breaks are in place elsewhere. IndiGo is off Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah till October 17, and Akasa Air has paused Jeddah and Riyadh for the same period. Gulf Air has dropped Riyadh from October 12 to 17, Lufthansa Group till October 16. Malaysia Airlines has stopped Jeddah and Madinah till October 17 as a precaution, while Qatar Airways has temporarily suspended Riyadh and Dammam.
A few airlines are thinking much further out. Cathay Pacific will bring back its Hong Kong-Dubai and Hong Kong-Riyadh routes only on January 31, 2027, and Delta has pushed its Atlanta-Riyadh plan to March 2027.
Belt-tightening at Air India
The airline has money worries of its own. On October 12, new CEO Tewolde Gebremariam told staff that a full-time team drawn from several departments will look for savings across the company. He asked employees to spend carefully and own their work.
Gebremariam said closed airspaces, the Middle East conflict and the disruption it causes, and persistently high jet fuel prices are squeezing airlines everywhere.
The pressure shows in the books. Air India, owned by the Tata Group and Singapore Airlines, reported a consolidated loss of Rs 22,238.23 crore in 2025-26.
The conflict has now gone on for over seven months, and airlines and oil markets remain nervous. Flying in the region soon? Check your flight status before leaving for the airport.
