Supriya Sule seeks govt intervention to bring home 41 Indians stranded in Riyadh

New Delhi, April 6
NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule on Monday urged the government and the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia to provide urgent repatriation support to 41 Indians from Maharashtra's Bhokardan, stranded in Riyadh after their flight to Mumbai was cancelled

Sule, NCP Working President and Lok Sabha MP from Baramati, stated that 41 Indians from Bhokardan were stranded in Riyadh after Akasa Air abruptly cancelled their flight to Mumbai. She also listed all passenger names.

"41 Indian citizens from Bhokardan, Maharashtra, are currently stranded in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, after their Akasa Air flight from Riyadh to Mumbai was suddenly cancelled," Sule said in a post on X, while sharing all the names.

She also requested the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar, and the Indian Embassy in Riyadh to extend "urgent assistance and facilitate their return to India at the earliest".

The Indian Embassy in Riyadh quickly replied that it is coordinating with Akasa Air and will extend all required assistance to facilitate the passengers' return.

"We are checking with the Akasa Air, Madam. We will extend all support needed," it said in a statement

Earlier on Sunday, Akasa Air suspended operations to Riyadh, Doha, and Kuwait until April 12, 2026, as part of ongoing safety reviews tied to the West Asia situation, with a waiver on cancellation and rescheduling fees offered to affected passengers.

In a statement, the airlines said, "Flights to/from Doha, Riyadh and Kuwait are suspended until April 12, 2026. We continue to monitor and assess the situation with respect to these destinations on a real-time basis, and changes, if any, to the flight status for such destinations will be notified accordingly."

"Akasa Air has extended its cancellation/rescheduling charges waiver policy for passengers booked to or from these cities until April 12, 2026. Passengers may opt for a full refund, credited to the original source of payment within 7 days, or reschedule their travel at no additional cost. If your booking was made through a travel partner, please check directly with them for assistance," it added.