Air India cancels Saudi flights till October 20
What's the story
Air India has canceled all flights to and from Riyadh, Dammam, and Jeddah till October 20, 2026. The airline is closely monitoring the situation in Saudi Arabia before resuming operations. "In view of the evolving situation in Saudi Arabia, all Air India flights to and from Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah stand canceled until 20 October 2026," Air India said in a statement. Several airlines have suspended operations from Saudi Arabia after multiple attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.
Refund policy
Full refund for affected passengers
Air India has assured passengers affected by these cancellations of a full refund.
The airline said, "Passengers affected by these cancellations are being offered a full refund."
The airline has also shared steps for passengers to request their refunds depending on how they booked their tickets, whether through website or app bookings, travel agent or third-party website bookings, or ticketing office bookings.
Flight suspensions
Other airlines that have suspended or canceled flights
Meanwhile, Air France-KLM has suspended flights to and from Riyadh until the end of October.
Akasa Air has suspended services to Jeddah and Riyadh till October 17, while IndiGo has canceled flights to Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah till the same date.
Etihad Airways has canceled all flights between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, along with 10 flights to Dammam and Jeddah until October 19.
Cost reduction
Air India's new CEO forms team to identify cost-saving opportunities
Air India's new CEO Tewolde Gebremariam has formed a team to identify cost-saving opportunities across the airline.
The team will review spending across departments and look for ways to save money.
"Ongoing airspace closures, the conflict in the Middle East and its resulting operational disruptions, and persistently high jet fuel costs continue to place significant pressure on airlines across the industry," he said.