Bloomberg
• Kateryna Kadabashy
Missile strikes on Riyadh’s airport killed more than a dozen people and prompted Saudi authorities to suspend hub operations, worsening an already difficult year for Middle East airlines. The disruption has driven flight cancellations and put the region’s airline operations under further pressure.
Saudi Arabia
Latest source-backed stories
High activity
Missile strikes on Riyadh’s airport killed more than a dozen people and prompted Saudi authorities to suspend hub operations, worsening an already difficult year for Middle East airlines. The disruption has driven flight cancellations and put the region’s airline operations under further pressure.
Riyadh airport has resumed operations after a two-week pause, even as Houthi rebels continue attacks on the Saudi capital. The resumption restores airport activity amid continuing security risks, though the available reports provide no details on the cause of the pause or the scope of resumed operations.
High activity
Cancellations tied to Houthi attacks affected 4,071 departures from Riyadh between Oct. 8 and 25, or 86% of scheduled departures, while foreign airlines continued suspending service. Riyadh Air temporarily shifted part of its operation to Al Qassim, about 250 miles north, and offered passengers a bus transfer from the capital.
Riyadh Air is temporarily relocating its operational base from Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport to Al Qassim’s Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz International Airport. From Oct. 25, the airline is set to operate six routes linking Al Qassim with Cairo, Dhaka, Jeddah, London Heathrow, Lahore and Islamabad.
Violence aimed at civilian aviation has roiled a Saudi airline that was expected to play a role in the kingdom’s long-term economic ambitions. The available reporting does not identify the airline or detail the attacks, but places the company’s plans against a backdrop of conflict-related disruption.
High activity
King Khalid International Airport resumed domestic and international flights Sunday after a closure of about two weeks following Houthi attacks. The reopening came hours before the Iran-aligned group renewed its warning that the airport was a “military target”; passengers were urged to check flight status with airlines.
High activity
Riyadh Air is moving some Boeing 787-9 services about 400 km northwest to Al Qassim, with passengers offered a complimentary 4.5-hour bus ride from Riyadh. Air India, Air India Express and Akasa Air have suspended or extended suspensions on Saudi routes, with Air India’s pauses covering Riyadh and Dammam through Nov. 7 and Jeddah through Oct. 31, 2026.
Create a free account to see more recent Saudi Arabia stories and keep bookmarks in one place.
