What happened
Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport took the worst week in its history between October 6 and 12. Houthi missiles and drones fired from Yemen hit the airport on four separate days, destroying a Saudia Airbus A320 on the ground on October 8 and striking a crowded departure hall in the Terminal 3 and 4 complex on October 10. At least 20 people were killed and more than 370 injured across the week, according to a timeline compiled from AP, Reuters and BBC reporting. Abha and Dammam airports were also hit.
Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority, GACA, closed the airport and extended the closure through October 17. The National reported it reopened on Sunday, October 18. That is not the whole story. Bloomberg, via Business Today, reports that a notice to airmen now requires prior permission for every arrival and departure, with no expiry date, and that the airport is no longer available as an emergency alternate. In practice, scheduled flights are not back.
Who is still canceling
Almost every foreign airline that serves Riyadh has pushed its restart past the reopening. The dates below come from The National's October 19 roundup and Gulf News, and they have already moved once, so treat them as the earliest a flight might operate.
Through October 24: Etihad (Riyadh, Dammam and four daily Jeddah flights), flydubai (Riyadh, Dammam, Abha), Qatar Airways (Riyadh and Dammam suspended, Jeddah cut from seven daily flights to four), Air France (Riyadh), Air India and Air India Express (Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam), IndiGo (Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Madinah) and Akasa Air (Riyadh; Jeddah to October 21).
Later: Oman Air returns to Riyadh on October 22. Emirates has canceled some Riyadh and Jeddah flights through October 21 with staggered restarts. SalamAir and KLM are out until October 31. Lufthansa has suspended Riyadh until November 18 and Dammam through November 30, while Eurowings plans to return to Jeddah on November 12. Philippine Airlines is out of Riyadh until November 29, Scoot has dropped Singapore to Jeddah until December 2, and Cathay Pacific has suspended Riyadh until January 31, 2027. Pakistan International Airlines has no restart date. Air Arabia has none for Riyadh, Abha, Dammam or Taif.
Two US-market notes. Delta has postponed the launch of Atlanta to Riyadh from October 23 to March 2027. British Airways, which dropped Jeddah in April, still lists a single daily Riyadh flight starting November 3.
Gulf Air says its flights after October 18 operate as scheduled, and Malaysia Airlines planned to resume Jeddah and Madinah on October 18 after a safety review.
Why airlines are not rushing back
The regulators are telling them not to. Safe Airspace now rates Saudi Arabia at its highest warning level, Do Not Fly, even though the airspace is formally open. EASA's conflict-zone bulletin, valid to November 16, tells European operators to stay out of two defined areas of the Jeddah flight information region entirely and to use caution everywhere else. The FAA's notice, valid to December 10, advises caution at all altitudes and flags GPS interference. Germany tells its airlines not to enter the region south of 26 degrees north, which covers Riyadh, and Canada's notice recommends not entering at all.
The Houthi spokesman has named Saudi airports and airspace as "potential targets," exempting only Makkah and Madinah. Insurers read statements like that closely.
What it means if you are booked
Check the flight, not the airport. Gulf News makes the point plainly: the reopening does not mean your flight operates, and Umrah travelers connecting through Jeddah should confirm directly with the airline. Jeddah and Madinah are running, but with fewer flights.
If your carrier cancels, you are owed a refund, not just a voucher, on tickets sold in the US, the UK and the EU, and Dubai's consumer directive adds a duty of care for anyone stranded through a UAE carrier. For a connection through Doha or Abu Dhabi, remember that the Gulf hubs themselves are operating; it is the Saudi leg that fails. We cover the refund rules and rerouting in our companion piece on Middle East disruptions.
The Future Investment Initiative summit is due in Riyadh next week, and organizers are already considering a hybrid format. If the kingdom's biggest business event cannot count on the airport, do not count on it for a connection either.
