What happened
Three Indian carriers pushed their pauses on Gulf routes to November, and IndiGo cancelled services to four Saudi cities through 31 October 2026.
Why it matters
Indian travellers on the Gulf routes face a multi-month pause; confirmed bookings on or before 24 October 2026 get a full refund or flexible rebooking.
Remember this
The Gulf-route pause is running through November, not the next few days.
What is confirmed
The Houthi strike claims and the Saudi debris reports are on record, but Saudi Arabia has not confirmed that the Houthi-claimed targets were hit. The carrier pauses and the refund windows are what passengers can act on today.
- Carrier pauses and refund windows are confirmed by the airlines.
- Houthi strike claims remain claims, not confirmed damage to the named airports.
- The Houthis denied deliberately targeting Mecca and Medina.
More context & who is affected
Air India, Air India Express and Akasa Air have pushed their pauses on Gulf routes out to November. Riyadh and Dammam stay grounded until 7 November 2026, Jeddah until 31 October, while Akasa keeps Riyadh paused through 30 November and Jeddah until 10 November. IndiGo cancelled services to Jeddah, Dammam, Madinah and Riyadh until 31 October.
The reason: the Houthis claim fresh missile strikes near King Khalid International Airport, King Fahd International Airport, Najran and other Saudi targets. Saudi Arabia said intercepted missiles left debris in the Mecca and Medina regions; the Houthis denied deliberately targeting the holy cities. This follows an earlier strike on King Fahd Airport in Dammam that reportedly killed a Saudi national and an Indian national.
Air India said travellers with confirmed bookings issued on or before 24 October 2026 on these Gulf routes can take a full refund or flexible rebooking. No government has closed its airspace — only these individual airline route pauses are in force.
- Air India and Air India Express — Riyadh and Dammam
- 7 November 2026 Air India and Air India Express said their Riyadh and Dammam pauses run until 7 November 2026, with Jeddah paused until 31 October 2026.News9live
- Akasa Air — Riyadh pause end date
- 30 November 2026 Akasa Air extended its Riyadh pause until 30 November 2026 — the longest of the three Indian carriers in this round — and Jeddah until 10 November 2026.News9live
- IndiGo — Saudi cities paused
- 4 IndiGo cancelled services to Jeddah, Dammam, Madinah and Riyadh through 31 October 2026.News9live
- Dammam airport attack on 21 October 2026
- 2 killed, 8 injured Saudi authorities reportedly said an earlier Houthi-linked attack on King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on 21 October 2026 killed a Saudi national and an Indian national and injured eight others.News9live
Indian Travellers Flying To Saudi Arabia · Gulf Business Travellers And Students
Indian travellers on the paused Gulf routes can get a full refund or flexible rebooking for confirmed bookings issued on or before 24 October 2026.
Indian Travellers Flying To Saudi Arabia · Hajj And Umrah Pilgrim Travellers
Passengers flying to or from Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah on Indian carriers face a long wait for service to resume.
Gulf Route Airline And Travel Agency Operators · Gulf Business Travellers And Students
Indian-Gulf business travel, pilgrim traffic and travel-agency workflows face several weeks of disruption on the paused routes.
Reporting fromNews9live ↗Hindustan Times ↗
Sources & verification2 sources · 4 claims
These are the records behind this briefing. Linked reporting is not the same as independent confirmation.
- News9liveReportingPublished Oct 25, 2026 · Accessed Oct 25, 2026
- Hindustan TimesReportingPublished Oct 25, 2026 · Accessed Oct 25, 2026
Claims and linked sources
Air India, Air India Express and Akasa Air extended their pauses on Gulf routes through November, while IndiGo cancelled services to four Saudi cities through 31 October 2026.
The Houthis claim fresh attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam and an airport in Najran, plus additional Saudi targets.
Saudi Arabia said intercepted missiles left debris in the Mecca and Medina regions, though the Houthis denied deliberately targeting those holy cities and Riyadh did not name a responsible party.
Air India said passengers with confirmed bookings issued on or before 24 October 2026 on the paused Saudi routes can choose flexible rebooking or a full refund.
