Saudi flights cancelled till October 24: Air India, IndiGo, Akasa Air halt services amid Middle East tension
PTC Web Desk: Indian travellers heading to Saudi Arabia will have to wait a little longer. Four major carriers, Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo and Akasa Air, have stretched their flight cancellations to the kingdom as security concerns and rising geopolitical tension continue in the Middle East. On many routes, services will stay off the schedule until October 24.
Which flights are affected?
Air India and Air India Express: Flights to and from Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam are suspended until October 24.
IndiGo: Services to and from Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah are cancelled until the same date.
Akasa Air: Riyadh flights are off until October 24, while Jeddah flights will stay cancelled until October 21.
What Air India and Air India Express are offering
To ease the trouble for passengers, both airlines have announced a one-time free date change. It applies to confirmed tickets issued on or before October 15 for travel between October 9 and 25. Eligible passengers can move their trip to a later date on the same airline, up to November 10, without paying any change fee.
Those whose flights are cancelled and who no longer wish to travel can ask for a full refund instead.
Passengers can also choose to fly from another Gulf city, depending on seat availability. However, the airlines have made it clear that travellers will have to arrange their own transport to that airport and make sure their visa and entry papers are in order.
Air India passengers can rebook to or from Dubai or Doha. Air India Express offers a longer list: Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, Kuwait, Muscat, Ras Al Khaimah, Salalah and Sharjah.
For help, both airlines said their contact centres and booking offices in India and the Gulf countries are open for rebooking and refund requests.
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IndiGo and Akasa Air: what passengers should know
IndiGo is informing affected customers through the phone numbers and email addresses given at the time of booking. If you bought your ticket through a travel agent or booking platform, you have been asked to contact them directly.
Akasa Air is giving two options: a full refund, which will reach the original payment method within seven days, or a free reschedule. Here too, passengers who booked via travel partners need to approach those partners.
Airlines say safety comes first
All four airlines said they are keeping a close watch on the situation and that the safety of passengers and crew remains their top priority.
- PTC NEWS
