IndiGo extends Saudi flight suspensions through November 21 and 30

IndiGo notifies affected passengers

Both deadlines include the stated final day. IndiGo said it is contacting affected passengers through the details supplied with their bookings and providing assistance. It continues to monitor developments in the Middle East and pledged further updates, saying passenger and crew safety remains its top priority.

The airline's Riyadh suspension began in mid-October. An earlier extension had halted service to all four Saudi destinations through October 24. Air India, Air India Express and Akasa Air also extended Saudi suspensions at that time.

Airlines set different return dates

Other carriers' schedules show different timelines for restoring Saudi services. Gulf News reported in its November 10 flight-status update that Etihad Airways had canceled all passenger and cargo flights linking Abu Dhabi with Riyadh and Dammam through November 19, 2026.

The same update said flydubai's Dubai services to Riyadh and Abha were suspended through November 16, while its Dammam flights were scheduled to resume on November 10.

Some airlines have pushed their plans into 2027. According to a November 9 roundup by House of Saud, British Airways moved its Riyadh restart to January 11, 2027, and permanently ended its London–Jeddah route. Cathay Pacific's Riyadh suspension now runs through January 31, 2027, following a third postponement. Delta delayed the launch of its planned Atlanta–Riyadh service until March 2027.

Airport restrictions and widespread cancellations

Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport reopened on October 18, 2026, but every flight requires advance approval under a prior-permission NOTAM, House of Saud reported. Several airlines regard the airport as effectively closed. Domestic flights resumed on October 25.

By November 9, at least 25 airlines had reduced or suspended service to Saudi Arabia, according to the roundup. It reported that cancellations exceeded a third of scheduled flights at the disruption's peak and described the disruption as the worst for Saudi aviation since the kingdom opened to international tourism.

Earlier figures from Cirium show the scale of the October disruption: 2,018 of Saudi Arabia's 6,608 scheduled departures did not operate from October 8 through 13, or about 30.5 percent. On October 11, the figure reached about 56.8 percent, with 623 of 1,096 scheduled departures not operating.

Security warnings remain in place

Saudi Arabia has reported intercepting Houthi missiles and drones. Elsewhere in the region, the US continues its naval blockade of Iran despite renewed diplomatic efforts.

European aviation guidance also remains in effect. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency issued Conflict Zone Information Bulletin CZIB-2026-09 on September 30, 2026, revised it on October 9 and kept it in force through November 16. It advises EU-regulated carriers against flying at any altitude within a specified corridor in the Jeddah flight information region. For the wider flight information region, it recommends heightened caution, additional fuel reserves and plans for alternate airports. The bulletin is advisory, not an order closing the airspace.

House of Saud reported that Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree warned international airlines, airport employees and travelers on November 4 to avoid Saudi airspace, with exemptions only for the skies over Makkah and Madinah. The group issued a similar warning on October 19, describing Saudi airspace as "unsafe" while making the same two exemptions.

A separate US Mission security alert dated November 7 said the State Department had ordered non-emergency US government employees and their family members to leave Saudi Arabia because of safety risks. That order took effect on October 23, 2026.

What passengers should check

Travelers should confirm their flight's status with the airline before leaving for the airport and make sure their booking contains current contact details for disruption alerts. Passengers connecting through Dubai, Abu Dhabi or another regional hub should also verify that their onward flights are operating. Check airline updates, airport departure boards and local authority announcements for the latest information.