IndiGo Extends Saudi Flight Suspension to 30 November and the UK’s New 10-Year Settlement Rule: What Indians Need to Know (November 2026)

Two updates for Indian travellers and workers in November 2026: IndiGo’s 10 November advisory extending India–Saudi flight cancellations to 21 November (Jeddah, Madinah) and 30 November (Riyadh, Dammam), with refund and Umrah visa steps; and the UK’s confirmed earned settlement plan that moves the standard wait for Indefinite Leave to Remain from 5 to 10 years, with 3- and 5-year routes for higher earners.

Krosz Visa Desk · Updated 2026-11-11 · 8 min read

Two updates matter for Indian travellers and workers this week. IndiGo has extended its cancellation of flights to Saudi Arabia: Jeddah and Madinah until 21 November and Riyadh and Dammam until 30 November 2026, which affects Umrah pilgrims, Gulf workers and visiting families. In Britain, the government has confirmed its earned settlement plan: the standard wait for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) goes from 5 to 10 years for most migrants, with faster routes for higher earners. Rule changes start from December 2026.

*Information checked on 11 November 2026.*

The quick take

IndiGo Saudi flights: suspended to and from Jeddah and Madinah until 21 November and Riyadh and Dammam until 30 November 2026 (advisory dated 10 November).
Other Indian airlines: latest reported dates are 14 November for Air India and Air India Express, and 18 November (Jeddah) and 30 November (Riyadh) for Akasa Air.
Already booked? Don’t buy a new ticket first. Ask for a refund or free rebooking on the cancelled one.
In Saudi Arabia on an Umrah visa? Call 1966 (Pilgrim Care Centre) and contact the Indian Consulate in Jeddah before your visa runs out.
UK settlement: the default route becomes 10 years. Earners of £50,271+ keep 5 years, and £125,141+ gets 3 years.
Not in force yet: UK rules to be laid from December 2026, phased in during 2027.

Chart: last day of suspended India–Saudi flights in November 2026. IndiGo Jeddah and Madinah until 21 November and Riyadh and Dammam until 30 November (advisory 10 Nov); Akasa Air Jeddah until 18 November and Riyadh until 30 November (advisory 1 Nov); Air India and Air India Express Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam until 14 November (advisory 30 Oct) — Sources: IndiGo advisory as reported by ANI, Gulf News and Siasat (10–11 Nov 2026); Gulf News and Saudi Life Guide (1 Nov 2026).

At a glance

Change	Who it affects	Key date	What to do
IndiGo extends India–Saudi flight suspension	Passengers booked to or from Jeddah, Madinah, Riyadh or Dammam on IndiGo	Until 21 Nov (Jeddah, Madinah) and 30 Nov 2026 (Riyadh, Dammam)	Take a refund or rebooking; check Saudi carriers for urgent trips
UK earned settlement confirmed	Indians on UK work visas planning to apply for ILR	Announced 2 Nov 2026; rules laid from Dec 2026, phased in 2027	Check your earnings against the 3-, 5- and 10-year tests; keep records

IndiGo extends its Saudi Arabia flight suspension

What changed: in an advisory posted on X on 10 November 2026, IndiGo said it was extending the suspension of its Saudi Arabia services after assessing safety and security conditions. Flights to and from Jeddah and Madinah are now cancelled up to and including 21 November, and flights to and from Riyadh and Dammam up to and including 30 November 2026. All four cities had previously been suspended until 14 November. Reports link the decision to continuing missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, including at Riyadh airport.

IndiGo is not alone. The most recent advisories reported for other Indian airlines put Air India and Air India Express off Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam until 14 November, and Akasa Air off Jeddah until 18 November and Riyadh until 30 November. Any of these dates could move again.

Refunds, rebooking and alternatives

IndiGo: says it is contacting affected passengers at the phone and email used to book, with options such as re-accommodation or a refund. No separate refund terms have been published.
Air India and Air India Express: for tickets issued by 30 October for travel up to 14 November, one free rebooking for travel up to 29 November, or a full refund.
Akasa Air: full refund to the original payment method within 7 days, or a free reschedule.
Saudi carriers: India’s missions in Saudi Arabia say Saudi airlines have kept some services to India running, with flynas operating select dates from Dammam (to Lucknow, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kozhikode and Kochi) and Riyadh (to Delhi, Hyderabad and Kozhikode).
Booked through an agent? Ask the agent to process the refund or change.

Flowchart: if your India–Saudi flight on IndiGo, Air India, Air India Express or Akasa falls before the airline’s restart date, it is cancelled; choose a full refund or free rebooking, and if you are already in Saudi Arabia on an Umrah or visit visa, call the Pilgrim Care Centre on 1966 and contact the Consulate General of India in Jeddah before your visa expires — Based on airline advisories and Indian mission updates reported between 27 October and 11 November 2026. Confirm with your airline.

Umrah pilgrims and visa validity

The Consulate General of India in Jeddah has set up 24-hour control rooms in Jeddah and Makkah to help pilgrims with food, medicines and other needs. Pilgrims whose stay has been extended can call the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah’s Pilgrim Care Centre on 1966 to log their case and get a reference number. The consulate says it is working with Saudi authorities on visa validity for delayed departures, but no blanket Umrah visa extension has been announced.

What Indian travellers should do

Planning Umrah or a family visit in November? Hold off on new bookings with Indian carriers until restart dates are firm, or choose a Saudi carrier.
Have a Saudi e-visa already? Check its validity window before you rebook, so your new travel date still falls inside it.
Gulf workers on residence visas: confirm your exit and re-entry visa covers the delay, and extend it through your employer if needed.
Check flight status before leaving for the airport, as the Indian Embassy in Riyadh has advised.

UK confirms a 10-year standard route to settlement

What changed: on 2 November 2026, the UK Home Secretary gave the House of Commons the final shape of the earned settlement system and published the government’s response to its consultation, which drew more than 204,000 responses. The standard qualifying period for ILR rises from 5 to 10 years. Migrants can settle faster through higher earnings or certain public-service jobs, and more slowly if they break immigration rules or rely on public funds.

Chart: years before UK Indefinite Leave to Remain under the earned settlement plan. 3 years for earnings of £125,141 or more in 3 of the last 4 years; 5 years for £50,271 or more in 3 of the last 5 years or listed public-service jobs; 10 years by default with £12,571 or more in 5 of 7 years; 20 years after rule breaches or public funds use. The old standard was 5 years — Source: UK Government consultation response HC/CP 1707 (November 2026); Home Secretary’s statement to the House of Commons, 2 November 2026.

The four routes

3 years: earned at least £125,141 in 3 of the 4 years before applying, or qualified through the highest talent routes.
5 years: earned at least £50,271 in 3 of the last 5 years, worked in a listed health or education public-service role, or has a British family connection.
10 years: the new default. Requires earnings of at least £12,571 in 5 of the previous 7 years. Couples can combine earnings against a household threshold of £25,142.
20 years: for people with specified immigration breaches, such as overstaying, or who claimed specified public funds in the 5 years before applying.

Everyone also has to meet baseline conditions: B2 English, the Life in the UK test, no criminal record and no unpaid debts to the UK government, such as NHS or tax debts. Higher English, such as C1, does not shorten the wait.

Flowchart: which UK settlement route applies. Any visa breach or public funds claim in the last 5 years leads to 20 years; otherwise £125,141 or more in 3 of 4 years leads to 3 years; £50,271 or more in 3 of 5 years or a listed public-service job leads to 5 years; £12,571 or more in 5 of 7 years leads to 10 years. Everyone needs B2 English, the Life in the UK test, no criminal record and no unpaid UK government debt — Simplified from the UK Government consultation response HC/CP 1707 (November 2026) and Fox Williams (3 November 2026). Not legal advice.

Who keeps the old route, and what doesn’t count

There is no general protection for everyone already in the UK. The new rules will apply to people who have not yet been granted ILR when they apply. The main exceptions are care workers who joined the route before May 2025 and met their visa conditions, including earning £25,000 a year in social care, plus some health and education public-sector workers in the same position. They keep a 5-year route. Children under 18 can settle with their parents, and partners who arrived with the main applicant can settle at the same time if they meet the requirements.

One change hits many Indian students hard: time on temporary routes, including Student and Graduate visas, will no longer count towards settlement, and the 10-year Long Residence route will close. The clock effectively starts once you move to a qualifying route such as Skilled Worker.

What Indians in the UK should do

Check your earnings history against the £50,271 (3 of 5 years) and £125,141 (3 of 4 years) tests. Keep payslips and P60s.
Stay fully compliant: a breach or a public funds claim can push you to 20 years.
Start preparing for B2 English and the Life in the UK test now if you haven’t passed them.
Watch the December 2026 Statement of Changes for exact start dates and any further transitional rules before you make big decisions.
Planning to study in the UK? Factor in that Student and Graduate time will not count towards settlement.

What to do now

Saudi trip in November? Check your airline’s latest advisory and claim a refund or free change before booking again.
Already in Saudi Arabia? Call 1966 and contact the Indian Consulate in Jeddah if your visa is close to expiry.
On a UK work visa? Map your earnings to the new routes and keep your records in order.
Confirm on official sites. Rely on airline websites, Indian mission notices and gov.uk, not forwarded messages.

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Sources

*This article reflects information published up to 11 November 2026 and is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Always confirm with your airline, the relevant Indian mission, gov.uk or a qualified immigration adviser before you act.*

Frequently asked questions

When will IndiGo restart flights to Saudi Arabia?

Under its advisory of 10 November 2026, IndiGo has suspended flights to and from Jeddah and Madinah until 21 November and to and from Riyadh and Dammam until 30 November 2026. These are the latest dates announced. The airline has not confirmed a firm restart and may revise them again, so check its website before travel.

My IndiGo flight to Jeddah was cancelled. Can I get a refund?

IndiGo says it is contacting affected customers at the phone number and email given at booking with options such as re-accommodation or a refund. It has not published separate refund terms, so use its app, website or your travel agent. Under Indian aviation rules, refunds for a cancelled flight should go back to the original payment method.

Are Air India and Akasa flying to Saudi Arabia?

The latest advisories reported were Air India and Air India Express suspending Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam until 14 November 2026, and Akasa Air suspending Jeddah until 18 November and Riyadh until 30 November. Air India offered one free rebooking for travel up to 29 November and Akasa offered a full refund within 7 days. Check each airline for any newer update.

I am stuck in Saudi Arabia on an Umrah visa. What should I do?

Call the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah Pilgrim Care Centre on 1966 to register your case and get a reference number, and contact the Consulate General of India in Jeddah, which runs 24-hour control rooms in Jeddah and Makkah. No blanket Umrah visa extension has been announced, so act before your visa expires. Saudi carriers have kept some flights to India running.

Has the UK already changed the 5-year route to settlement?

Not yet. The Home Secretary confirmed the earned settlement plan on 2 November 2026. The changes are due to be laid in the Immigration Rules from December 2026 and phased in during 2027. Until then, the current rules apply.

Will Indians on a UK Skilled Worker visa have to wait 10 years for ILR?

Most will, unless they qualify for a faster route. Earning £50,271 or more in 3 of the last 5 years, or working in a listed health or education public-service role, keeps a 5-year route. Earning £125,141 or more in 3 of the last 4 years gives a 3-year route. Care workers and some public-sector workers who joined their route before May 2025 have transitional protection.

Does time on a UK Graduate or Student visa count towards settlement?

Under the confirmed plan, no. Time on temporary routes such as Student, Graduate and Youth Mobility will not count towards settlement, and the 10-year Long Residence route will close. Only time on qualifying longer-term routes, such as Skilled Worker, will count.

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