Air India cancels all flights to and from three Saudi cities till October 20

NEW: Air India cancels all flights to and from three Saudi cities until 20 October over escalating regional conflict, joining Air France-KLM and Gulf Air in suspending service.

Air India has cancelled every flight to and from three Saudi cities until October 20.

The airline pulled the schedule over the escalating regional conflict, and it's not alone. Air France-KLM and Gulf Air have already suspended service on the same routes, so this is now a pattern, not a precaution. You can see the kind of aircraft affected here, Air India's long haul jets that normally run those Gulf corridors daily.

Think about what that corridor means. Saudi Arabia is one of the biggest destinations for Indian workers anywhere in the world, and these routes carry families, pilgrims and paychecks, not just tourists. When carriers from three different countries all decide the same airspace isn't worth the risk, that tells you more than any official statement will.

For now the cancellation runs to October 20. Whether planes actually go back up that day depends on a conflict nobody controls a timetable for.

This is Sara White, reporting for HIT.