New Delhi. After the recent series of attacks on civil airports and aviation infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, the national aviation company ‘Air India’ has taken a big and important decision. Keeping in mind the rapidly deteriorating security situation in the Middle East region, Air India has officially announced to extend the period of cancellation of all its scheduled flights to and from Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah till October 20, 2026. This step has been taken at a time when the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has strongly condemned these deadly attacks on Saudi Arabia’s civilian infrastructure and expressed its full solidarity with the Saudi government and its citizens.
Passengers will get full refund, safety is top priority
While sharing the information through its official social media platform ‘X’, the airline has clarified that it is continuously and closely monitoring the situation in the entire region. Air India said in its statement that in view of the rapidly changing security scenario in Saudi Arabia, it has been decided to postpone all flights on Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah routes till October 20, 2026. The airline is continuously assessing the situation to determine when flight operations can be fully and safely resumed. The airline further assured that all passengers affected by the cancellation of these flights are being fully refunded as the safety of passengers and flight crew is its top priority.
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) strongly condemned
On the other hand, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council, in a special statement issued on Thursday, strongly condemned these attacks targeting Saudi Arabia’s civilian airports, passenger aircraft and aviation services assets. The Council expresses its deepest condolences and sympathies to the victims and their families affected by these attacks. The international community is also expressing deep concern about the safety of civil aviation in the region.
