AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has said that around 4,000 Indian Umrah pilgrims are stranded in Makkah, Madina and Jeddah. In a social media post, he said the pilgrims are stuck after IndiGo, Akasa Air and Air India cancelled their return flights. He also stated that travel agents have abandoned the group.
Owaisi has asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to allow these carriers to operate larger aircraft, such as the A321. He also urged the Centre to arrange special evacuation flights for the pilgrims. He tagged Union ministers, including S. Jaishankar, Kiren Rijiju and Ram Mohan Naidu, in his post.
The cancellations follow heightened security risks in Saudi Arabia linked to Houthi attacks. These include strikes on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh around 10 October. Indian carriers have since suspended services in phases to Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah.
The suspensions by IndiGo, Air India and Air India Express have been extended until 24 October. Akasa Air has extended its suspension until 27 October. The extensions have left many pilgrims without confirmed return tickets.
The Consulate General of India in Jeddah has confirmed that the Jeddah, Madinah and Dammam airports remain operational. It has advised stranded pilgrims to use alternative options such as Saudia, Flynas and Flyadeal, or to travel via the UAE, Bahrain or Qatar. The consulate has activated 24×7 control rooms in Jeddah and Makkah. Some smaller groups of pilgrims have already returned to India on rebooked flights or other routes.
