Saudi aviation authorities issued a fresh NOTAM on 12 October extending the shutdown of Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport until 17 October after successive Houthi missile strikes. In response, Air India and IndiGo have pushed back the resumption of Riyadh services to at least 15 October, while Air India Express has cancelled flights to Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam through 12 October. Akasa Air says it is reviewing its West-Asia schedule daily. The longer closure strands thousands of Indian expatriate workers at the height of the post-Navratri travel surge and complicates winter-schedule planning for corporates with Saudi projects. GCC airspace is already congested as airlines re-route around parts of Iraq and Iran; the Riyadh ground-stop removes 180-plus daily movements and tightens aircraft-rotation windows from India’s metros. Travel managers should activate contingency plans that route consultants via Muscat, Doha or Dubai, build in 48-hour buffers for project mobilisations, and verify that Saudi e-visas remain valid after involuntary itinerary changes. Passengers holding Air India or IndiGo tickets can claim full refunds or free date changes, but hotel costs remain the traveller’s burden unless covered by corporate policy. Insurers note that most business-travel policies exclude war-risk disruption; companies may need supplemental cover as Middle-East tension escalates. For now, expect yields on alternative Gulf sectors to spike and keep an eye on further NOTAMs—if the closure slips again, charter capacity may be the only reliable option.
Source: The New Indian Express
