Air India has resumed bookings on international flights from India to Saudi Arabia. Passengers planning to travel to Saudi Arabia can book tickets through the Air India website. 

Passengers can  also visit booking offices or book tickets via call centres or travel agents. The big decision comes after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) relaxed travel restrictions for fully vaccinated passengers from India.

Air India took to Twitter to make the following announcement:

“Air India opens bookings from India to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Before booking tickets kindly read the travel guidelines carefully. Bookings opened through Air India Website, Booking Offices, Call Centre & Authorised Travel Agents. It will be the sole responsibility of the passengers to ensure his/her eligibility to enter the destination country. Air India will accept no liability in this regard”.

Travel guidelines for Saudi Arabia

1) Resident permit holders (Iqama holders and valid exit re-entry visa) who have received two doses of the Covad-19 vaccine inside the Kingdom before their departure from the Kingdom are allowed to travel.

2) Passengers must confirm through their Tawakalna mobile application (vaccine certificate and health passport) that the passenger has taken two doses of vaccine from Saudi Arabia prior to check-in.

3) RT-PCR negative report was taken within 72 hours prior to boarding. 

4) This RT-PCR report must be from an ICMR accredited laboratory and must have a QR code.

5) Passengers must register the immunization data in the Muqeem website.

6) Passengers must carry their fully vaccinated Covid-19 certificate at the time of travel.

Scheduled international passenger services have been suspended in India since March 23, 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic. But special international flights have been operating under the Vande Bharat Mission since May 2020 and under bilateral “air bubble” arrangements with selected countries since July 2020.

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Mean-while, The government at the Centre has extended the suspension of international scheduled commercial passenger flights to and from India till September 30. In a statement issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA, it has been informed that the ban that was scheduled to end on August 31 has been extended further till September 30 now.The DGCA further said, “However, international scheduled flights may be allowed on selected routes by the competent authority on a case-to-case basis.”