Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport reopened on Sunday, 25 October, after a two-week closure that followed attacks on the Saudi capital. Gulf News reports that most scheduled departures were still cancelled on the day it reopened.
The disruption (Cirium data, 8–25 October)
- 7,802 of 17,299 scheduled departures from Saudi Arabia (45.1%) were cancelled or did not fly.
- Riyadh 85.96%, Dammam 42.08%, Jeddah 21.97% and Madinah 17.96% of departures were affected.
Latest dates for Indian airlines
- Air India and Air India Express: Riyadh and Dammam suspended until 7 November; Jeddah until 31 October
- IndiGo: Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah cancelled until 31 October
- Akasa Air: Jeddah suspended until 10 November, Riyadh until 30 November
Telugu pilgrims
APNRTS estimates that about 3,000 Indian Umrah pilgrims are stranded in Saudi Arabia, about 1,500 of them from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and 400 to 500 from AP alone. It says it is tracking the safety of 253 AP pilgrims and is negotiating a charter flight from Dammam to Hyderabad. A special flight from Jeddah carrying 40 passengers was due in Hyderabad on Monday morning.
Gulf News advises travellers to check with their airline for the latest status and refund or rebooking terms. The dates may change.
