NEW DELHI: Airlines flying between India and Saudi Arabia have announced an extension of the cancellation of their flight operations in light of the tense situation prevailing in the Gulf nation.
IndiGo and Akasa Air have extended their cancellations until October 24, while the Air India Group has extended them until October 20.
Airlines had earlier announced the suspension of operations until October 17 in light of the missile attacks by Houthi rebels on Riyadh’s key airport.
In an advisory, IndiGo said, “Following a careful assessment of the evolving situation in Saudi Arabia, flights to and from Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah stand cancelled until 24 October.” It added that timely notifications were being sent to affected customers using the contact details provided at the time of booking.
IndiGo operates flights from Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai to Riyadh.
Akasa Air, too, has followed suit. “In view of the prevailing security situation in the Middle East, Akasa Air has extended the suspension of all flights to and from Riyadh until October 24. Operations to Jeddah have been suspended till October 21,” the airline said in a statement. It further said, “This decision follows a careful assessment of the evolving situation, with safety remaining our primary consideration.”
Both Air India and Air India Express have extended the suspension of flights until October 20.
Air India Express (AIX), the largest operator from India to the Gulf region, said in a statement, “In view of the evolving situation in the region, we have cancelled flights to and from Dammam, Jeddah and Riyadh until 20 October.” AIX operates daily flights from Kozhikode to Riyadh and three flights a week from Bengaluru, Kochi and Kannur. Additionally, it operates flights to Dammam from Bengaluru, Mangaluru and Delhi, and flights to Jeddah from Kozhikode, Mangaluru and Bengaluru.
An Air India spokesperson said, “In view of the evolving situation in Saudi Arabia, all Air India flights to and from Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah stand cancelled until 20 October. We are closely monitoring developments and continuously assessing the situation to ensure the safe resumption of operations.” Passengers affected by these cancellations are being offered a full refund, the spokesperson added.