Indian budget carrier IndiGo announced on Friday (October 16, 2026) the complete suspension of its flight operations to four key destinations in Saudi Arabia until October 24, citing evolving security and operational restrictions at Saudi airports.
The suspension applies to all incoming and outgoing flights connecting Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, and Medina. Over the past week alone, IndiGo has cancelled 22 transit flights carrying Bangladeshi passengers departing from Dhaka via Indian transit hubs to Saudi destinations, throwing thousands of expatriate workers into severe travel uncertainty.
According to official data from the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), recent airport restrictions in Saudi Arabia have led to the cancellation or postponement of 103 flights (both direct and connecting) from Dhaka, directly stranding 15,779 passengers. Out of these, 61 were third-country transit flights, with IndiGo accounting for 22. The sudden disruptions have caused immense distress to Bangladeshi migrant workers returning to work, new job recruits, and vacationing expatriates. IndiGo advised passengers—especially those holding multi-leg transit tickets—to verify both their initial departure from Dhaka and their onward connecting flights before heading to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA).
— Daily Best News Desk • Fearless in the search for truth
Reported by Staff Reporter • Edited by the Daily Best News desk. Send corrections to [email protected].
