November 2, 2026 — Akasa Air (QP) has extended its suspension of flights to Saudi Arabia, keeping Jeddah off the schedule through November 18 and Riyadh through November 30. The move, announced in a November 1 advisory, goes further than the pauses already in place at Air India, Air India Express and IndiGo.
Airline: Akasa Air (QP) · Country: India
What happened
Indian carriers have been cancelling Saudi Arabia flights amid airspace restrictions in the region. Akasa’s latest advisory sets the longest pause of the Indian airlines so far.
| Airline | Saudi airports affected | Suspended through |
|---|---|---|
| Akasa Air (advisory Nov 1) | Jeddah | November 18, 2026 |
| Akasa Air (advisory Nov 1) | Riyadh | November 30, 2026 |
| Air India and Air India Express (advisory Oct 30) | Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam | November 14, 2026 |
| IndiGo (advisory Oct 28) | Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Madinah | November 14, 2026 |
Akasa passengers on cancelled flights can take a full refund, returned to the original payment method within seven days, or rebook at no extra cost. Those who booked through a travel agent should contact the agent. Air India passengers with bookings issued on or before October 30 for travel up to November 14 can rebook once for free, subject to availability, for travel up to November 29, or take a refund.
Saudi carriers are still flying between India and Jeddah and Madinah, and flynas has added flights on select dates from Dammam and Riyadh to several Indian cities. The Consulate General of India in Jeddah is running 24-hour control rooms in Jeddah and Makkah to help stranded Indian nationals and Umrah pilgrims.
What it means for non-revs
- No Akasa seats to Saudi Arabia. There is nothing to list for on Akasa to Jeddah until after November 18 or to Riyadh until after November 30, and dates could move again.
- Heavy loads on the remaining options. Rebooked passengers and pilgrims trying to get home will fill Saudi carriers’ India flights and one-stop Gulf connections. Expect poor standby odds on India–Saudi Arabia routes through at least mid-November.
- Watch the November 14 dates. Air India and IndiGo could extend their pauses as Akasa has. Check each airline’s latest advisory before travelling.
Sources
- Gulf News — India-Saudi flights: Akasa, Air India and IndiGo extend cancellations; Umrah advisory issued
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