RIYADH, October 29, 2026 — Airlines have extended their suspensions of flights to Saudi Arabia deep into November, leaving passengers facing a fragmented, airline-by-airline patchwork of cancellations even though Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport has reopened after its earlier closure.
Fresh roundups published on Thursday confirm that Indian and European carriers alike are keeping major Saudi routes grounded for weeks to come, citing continued airspace restrictions and security concerns.
Indian carriers push suspensions into November
IndiGo has announced that flights between Indian cities and Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah will remain cancelled until November 14, trade sources said, the longest blanket suspension among the Indian carriers. Air India and Air India Express have extended their suspension of services to Riyadh and Dammam until November 7, while flights to Jeddah remain suspended until October 31, according to the airlines’ advisory.
Passengers holding confirmed bookings issued on or before October 24 may take a one-time free rebooking or a full refund, Air India said. For Riyadh and Dammam routes, rebooking to or from an operational Saudi station is available for travel until November 21, while Jeddah passengers can rebook for travel until November 14, subject to availability.
Akasa Air has gone further on one route than any other Indian carrier, suspending its Jeddah flights until November 10 and halting its Riyadh route through November 30 after what it described as a careful assessment of the safety environment. Affected Akasa passengers can opt for a full refund within seven days or reschedule without additional charges, the airline said.
European airlines stay away longer
The disruption is not limited to Indian carriers. Germany’s Lufthansa and Italy’s ITA Airways have suspended services to Riyadh until November 18, while Dutch carrier KLM has suspended flights to Riyadh and Dammam until November 27, according to Thursday’s roundup. British Airways has extended its suspension for Riyadh until November 3, when it plans a limited return, while Air France has done the same until November 7.
Earlier reporting had put some of those dates sooner — KLM, for example, was initially listed through the end of October — underscoring how repeatedly airlines have pushed their return dates back since early October.
Why flights are still grounded
The suspensions follow weeks of missile and drone attacks on Saudi airports, including the deadly strike on Riyadh airport earlier this month and a further attack on Dammam airport on October 21 that killed one person and injured eight, according to official reports. Riyadh airport partially reopened on October 18, but arriving and departing flights still require advance permission from Saudi aviation authorities, and dozens of international routes remain suspended.
What passengers should do
Airlines and travel advisers are urging passengers not to assume a flight is operating simply because the destination airport is open. Travellers should check their airline’s official channels for real-time flight status before leaving for the airport, confirm whether their booking qualifies for free rebooking or a refund, and keep screenshots of every schedule-change notice, since refund eligibility turns on the airline’s own cancellation.
