Akasa Air has extended the suspension of flights to and from Jeddah until November 10 and Riyadh until November 30, citing the evolving security situation in Saudi Arabia and its assessment of the safety environment in the Kingdom.
The airline announced the revised schedule in a travel update on Friday and said it was monitoring developments in real time. The suspension covers all flights to and from the two Saudi destinations until the dates specified by the carrier.
Passengers affected by the cancellations can choose a full refund or reschedule their travel without paying an additional charge. Akasa Air said refunds would be credited to the original source of payment within seven days. Passengers who booked through travel partners have been asked to contact those agencies or platforms directly for assistance.
“The safety and well-being of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority,” the airline said in its update. It added that the decision followed a careful assessment of prevailing security conditions.
The suspension comes as security concerns in the region have affected civilian and critical infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. The Ministry of External Affairs said attacks had targeted infrastructure including King Fahd International Airport in Dammam and Saudi Aramco’s Shaybah oil field on October 21.
According to the MEA, one Indian national was killed and two others were injured in the Dammam airport incident. Another Indian citizen was injured in the attack on the Shaybah oil field. India has called for an immediate cessation of attacks on civilian and critical infrastructure and expressed hope for an early return of peace and normalcy.
The disruption has also affected Indian Umrah pilgrims travelling through Saudi Arabia. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said approximately 3,000 stranded Umrah pilgrims had returned to India over the previous week, while more than 10,000 other pilgrims had travelled home on available flights.
The Indian Embassy and Consulate in Saudi Arabia are coordinating with airlines and tour operators to facilitate the return of other pilgrims, Jaiswal said at a media briefing in New Delhi. Diplomatic missions are also providing assistance through community volunteers and discussing arrangements for those still in the Kingdom.
The Embassy and Consulate are operating 24-hour control rooms in Riyadh and Jeddah and issuing regular advisories to Indian nationals. These channels are intended to provide updates on travel arrangements and assistance as flight operations remain subject to the security situation.
For passengers holding affected Akasa Air bookings, the immediate next steps are to request a refund or seek a no-cost rescheduling option through the airline or the travel partner used for the booking. The suspension dates remain November 10 for Jeddah and November 30 for Riyadh, subject to further travel updates from the airline.
