Indian airlines halt Saudi flights until 17 October as Houthi attacks reach near Aramco's Dhahran headquarters
IndiGo cancelled flights to and from Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah until 17 October, and Air India cancelled Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah; Hindustan Times counts four Indian carriers off Riyadh, including Air India Express and Akasa Air (Hindustan Times, Mint). The Indian embassy said Indians in an emergency can leave Saudi Arabia through neighbouring countries and told citizens to remain calm and indoors (Hindustan Times, Mint, The Hindu). Mint reports that the attack on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport killed an Indian citizen and that four injured Indians remain in intensive care; the Times of India puts the airport attack's toll at 13. On Tuesday Reuters reported loud booms near Aramco's Dhahran headquarters, and Bloomberg, citing people with knowledge, said a Houthi missile hit the complex and started a fire (Bloomberg's report alone). The Saudi-led coalition struck an oil depot near Sanaa (Reuters, BBC, The Guardian), and Trump said the Houthis want higher oil prices before the US midterms (Reuters).
Saudi Arabia is a major source of oil for India and home to a large Indian workforce. Attacks on its airports and oil sites threaten both the safety of Indians there and the price of fuel at home.
If you have family in Saudi Arabia, check the embassy's advisory and your airline's status before travelling; flights are cancelled until 17 October. At home, dearer crude feeds into petrol, diesel and the rupee.
The Saudi-led coalition says the sites it struck supported the Houthi arsenal of drones and missiles that threaten the kingdom, its ports and Red Sea shipping (FinancialJuice, single source).
The Houthis have warned that they will retaliate by targeting Riyadh and Dammam, and have told civilians to leave Aramco sites (BBC, Mint).
The risk for Indian readers is two-sided: people and flights now, oil prices next. Watch whether airlines extend the 17 October suspension, whether the Dhahran damage is confirmed by a second outlet, and what Brent does. The wire's oil prices are single-source and should be read that way.
DailyDrop India edition No. 10 · Morning · WED., OCT. 14, 2026