Desk note · industry · Aviation / travellers
Air India said on 16 October 2026 that all flights to and from Riyadh, Dammam, and Jeddah are cancelled until 20 October amid drone and missile attacks on Saudi aviation infrastructure, with full refunds offered to passengers and rival carriers extending their own suspensions.
On 16 October 2026, Air India posted a travel advisory on X stating that flights to and from Riyadh, Dammam, and Jeddah remain cancelled until 20 October 2026 while the airline monitors security developments. Passengers on affected bookings are eligible for full refunds. The move follows repeated attacks on Saudi airports attributed to Yemen’s Houthi forces, including strikes on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport and Abha airport in the southwest. Reporting cites coalition statements on casualties and damage to civilian aviation infrastructure. Earlier in the week, IndiGo extended Saudi cancellations to 24 October and Akasa Air pushed Riyadh and Jeddah suspensions to 21 and 24 October respectively. The Indian embassy in Riyadh confirmed that an Indian national injured in an attack on 10 October later died, with other Indians still under care.
Gulf routes are a core part of Indian carriers’ international networks for labour traffic, pilgrimage travel, and business links. When multiple airlines pause the same markets together, rebooking capacity through Dubai, Doha, or Bahrain becomes crowded and fares on indirect routings can jump. Full refunds protect consumers legally, but last-minute alternative tickets may still cost more or require visas for transit countries, as the embassy noted when pointing Indians to neighbouring hubs. For airlines, parked wide-body capacity on Saudi sectors bleeds revenue while insurance and crew-duty rules complicate quick restarts even if a single date is announced.
If you hold tickets to Saudi Arabia before late October, check airline apps for automatic refunds or reissue options and compare one-stop routings if travel is urgent. Corporate travel desks should pause non-essential Saudi trips until carriers publish stable schedules. Investors in Indian aviation should model international yield risk alongside domestic festive demand. Watch whether Air India lifts the 20 October deadline, any further embassy advisories, and whether insurance policies cover disruption from conflict zones.
Telecom / IPO
On 22 October 2026, exchange data showed Jio Platforms’ ₹30,213 crore issue had drawn about ₹3.73 lakh crore of total bids by late evening on Day 2, with the retail portion oversubscribed and market commentators citing diverted cash from other listed stocks during the book build.
SEBI / market infrastructure
On 22 October 2026, the Securities and Exchange Board of India proposed letting stock exchanges and depositories fund core-market and regulator-mandated initiatives without prior approval for each ticket, while keeping board oversight and financial safeguards and inviting comments until 12 November.
E-commerce / food delivery
On 22 October 2026, reporting said Flipkart is testing an internal food delivery product called Eat-in by Minutes with more than 8,000 employees in Bengaluru, using Ekart logistics as it prepares to compete with Zomato and Swiggy in meal delivery.
Digital trust / compliance
On 22 October 2026, eMudhra Ltd said its board will voluntarily withdraw from the global SSL/TLS certificate segment after a key-security incident on eight intermediate certificates, citing compliance cost and weak economics while stressing that other digital-trust services continue.
For informational purposes only. Not investment advice. Verify with filings and a licensed adviser.