Two Saudi Civilian Airports Attacked in Succession, 3 Dead and 36 Injured; Indian Embassy Warns Citizens to Stay Indoors; Multiple Indian Airlines Suspend Riyadh Routes

According to The Hindu, the Indian Embassy in Riyadh issued an advisory on October 8, urging Indian citizens in Saudi Arabia to remain vigilant and alert, to stay indoors when necessary, and to follow instructions issued by local authorities through official channels. The advisory also explicitly recommended that Indian citizens in Saudi Arabia refrain from spreading or forwarding videos and news related to the current events. On the same day, Air India and Air India Express announced the cancellation of round-trip flights to and from Riyadh until October 10, while Akasa Air cancelled its same-day Kochi–Riyadh round-trip service. The travel arrangements of cross-border travelers and the Indian diaspora community subsequently fell into disarray.

What triggered this advisory was the successive attacks on two Saudi civilian airports over the past two days. According to Saudi authorities, the attack on Abha International Airport caused 2 deaths and 28 injuries; the attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh caused 1 death and 8 injuries. The attacks were attributed by the Saudi side to the Iran-backed Houthis.

On October 8, the Indian government issued a statement strongly condemning attacks on civilian infrastructure, calling such acts "completely unacceptable."

The Hindu's report noted that over the past several weeks, the Houthis have continued to use drones and missiles to attack Saudi border regions, energy facilities, and civilian infrastructure, with the security situation in Saudi Arabia visibly deteriorating. The attacks on the two airports are the latest strikes in this round of escalation.

The scale of flight disruptions is already quite specific. Air India Express said it will offer affected passengers free rebooking or full refunds. The airline operates 16 weekly flights from Bengaluru, Kochi, Kannur, and Kozhikode to Riyadh. Air India also operates 7 weekly flights from Delhi and Mumbai to Riyadh. Air India said that flight AI2243 from Delhi to Riyadh on October 8 returned to New Delhi and was subsequently cancelled, with passengers receiving full refunds. The embassy said the Riyadh embassy, the Jeddah consulate, and their outsourced VFS services are operating normally, and the 24-hour helpline of the Overseas Indian Assistance Centre at 8002471234 remains available.

The embassy stated explicitly in the advisory: "Given the current situation, all Indian citizens in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are advised to remain vigilant and alert, to stay indoors when necessary, and to follow instructions issued by local authorities through official channels."

The combination of security alerts and flight disruptions has placed the cost of military conflict in the Gulf region squarely on ordinary cross-border travelers and families. As of going to press, there is no clear information on whether flights after October 10 will resume.