Air India and Air India Express have suspended flights to and from Riyadh and Dammam until November 7, and services to and from Jeddah until October 31.
Yemen's Houthi rebels on Saturday claimed attacks on oil facilities and airports across Saudi Arabia, a naval base and a military camp in Aden, the interim seat of the internationally recognised government, after explosions were heard in the city. Air India and Air India Express have suspended flights to and from Riyadh and Dammam until November 7, and services to and from Jeddah until October 31, citing the prevailing situation in the region.
The group's military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said the targets included a Saudi Aramco facility in Yanbu, the Rabigh oil refinery and airports in Riyadh, Dammam and Najran, as well as an air base in Khamis Mushait. There was no immediate confirmation from Saudi authorities, as per Reuters.
The claims came as Saudi airstrikes killed 16 people in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, according to AFP, citing Houthi media.
“Our armed forces targeted Saudi enemy concentrations at the so-called Al-Nasr camp and the naval base in Aden,” Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree told Reuters. The sites were under the supervision of Saudi forces.
Air India suspends Saudi flights
In a travel advisory posted on X on Saturday, Air India said passengers with confirmed bookings issued on or before October 24 could opt for flexible rebooking or a full refund upon cancellation. Eligible passengers can also avail of a one-time complimentary rebooking to other operational destinations in Saudi Arabia, subject to availability and specified travel deadlines.
The airline said Air India passengers booked on Riyadh and Dammam routes could rebook their travel to or from any operational Air India station in Saudi Arabia for travel until November 21. Those booked on Jeddah routes can rebook for travel until November 14.
Air India Express passengers booked on Riyadh and Dammam routes can avail of complimentary rebooking to or from operational Air India Express stations in Saudi Arabia or Bahrain and India for travel until November 21. For Jeddah routes, the facility is available for travel until November 14, subject to the airline's terms and availability.
The airlines said their teams would assist passengers with rebooking and refund requests through their contact centres and city booking offices.
This came after a series of Houthi attacks on Aden in recent days, including a missile strike on the presidential palace complex on October 15 that killed five people and wounded 16, according to Yemeni officials. Prime Minister Shaya al-Zindani and other government officials were unharmed in the attack, Al Jazeera reported.
The Houthis said they had targeted a Saudi military operations headquarters inside the palace complex. Two missiles also landed within the perimeter of Aden International Airport on October 16, according to Yemeni authorities. The missiles reportedly landed about 500 metres from a passenger aircraft preparing to depart for Cairo. No casualties were reported in that incident.
Saudi airstrikes kill 16 in Sanaa, Houthis claim
The latest claim of an attack on Aden came as Saudi forces launched airstrikes on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. The group's Al-Masirah television channel reported a series of strikes in Sanaa and its surrounding governorate, as well as around 20 strikes on the coastal city of Mocha.
According to Al-Masirah, one airstrike hit a house in Sanaa, killing at least four people and wounding several others. Another strike targeted a residential building housing cement factory workers in the Sanaa governorate, killing six women and one child and injuring three others.
Houthis claim Saudi missile interceptions
The Saudi strikes came shortly after the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said it intercepted two missiles fired towards Taif and Yanbu in western Saudi Arabia, as per Reuters.
Earlier, Saudi Arabia's civil defence agency issued warnings of potential danger across four western regions, including Taif, Yanbu, Mecca and Jeddah. Residents were instructed to proceed to the nearest safe place, while the agency cautioned against sharing images or information related to efforts to intercept missiles and drones.
The alerts were withdrawn minutes later.
Houthis intensify attacks on Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia has faced repeated attacks from the Houthis in recent weeks. The group has claimed to have targeted airports, oil infrastructure and other strategic facilities.
Yemeni authorities have accused the Houthis of launching missile attacks on airports in Aden and Mukalla, while the Saudi-led coalition has reported intercepting drones and missiles targeting Saudi territory.
Yanbu, a major oil export hub on the Red Sea coast, has become strategically important to Riyadh as it provides an alternative route for crude exports amid disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
An attack on Riyadh airport earlier this month killed 13 people and injured dozens more, HT reported at the time. The US also ordered non-essential embassy staff and their families to leave Saudi Arabia this week, citing the threat posed by the Houthis.
Houthis' advance threatens Red Sea shipping
In September, the Houthis seized the coastal city of Mocha and advanced towards islands near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, according to Yemeni government sources cited by Reuters.
The strait connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and is a critical passage for international trade and energy shipments.
Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces subsequently launched a counteroffensive, supported by Saudi air power, to recover territory held by the Houthis. The fighting has continued along several fronts, including in Taiz and areas along the Red Sea coast.
Yemen's long-running civil war
Saudi Arabia leads the military coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 in support of the internationally recognised government against the Houthis, who seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014.
The conflict has devastated the country, displaced millions and contributed to one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Fighting largely subsided following a UN-brokered truce in 2022, but hostilities have intensified again amid the US-Israeli war on Iran and regional allies.
