When will Riyadh airport reopen? Closure extended as airlines cancel flights

Passengers travelling to Riyadh face several more days of disruption after a new aviation notice extended the closure of King Khalid International Airport.

The Riyadh airport has been closed since deadly attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels over the weekend. And this has seen airlines forced to cancel hundreds of flights, leaving travellers unsure when services will resume.

When will Riyadh airport reopen?

A new Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM), published today (12 October), says King Khalid International Airport will remain closed until 21:00 UTC on Saturday, 17 October. This closure affects nearly 700 flights a day.

The notice, A3604/26 states that the airport is unavailable due to precautionary measures. However, it doesn’t mean flights will automatically resume after 17 October.

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has yet to announce a reopening date.

New @cirium data shows 99.7% of scheduled departures from King Khalid International Airport failed to operate following deadly Houthi attacks, with disruption spreading across Saudi Arabia. Read the latest, including when the airport is likely to reopen: https://t.co/6WSkPnAUgc https://t.co/NMfY9IrHps

— Aerospace Global News (@Aero_GlobalNews) October 12, 2026

Why is Riyadh airport closed?

The airport has been closed since Saturday, when an attack killed 13 people and injured more than 300. Another strike on Sunday killed one person and injured nearly a dozen others, according to Reuters.

The scale of the disruption has been severe. Data from aviation analytics company Cirium showed that 99.7% of scheduled departures were cancelled or did not operate on Sunday.

By 12pm on Monday, 82% of the day’s scheduled flights at Riyadh had been cancelled. Across Saudi Arabia, the cancellation rate stood at 46.4%.

Meanwhile flight tracking data from Flightradar24 showed aircraft avoiding Riyadh on Monday, although flights continued to cross other parts of Saudi airspace and operate into Jeddah.

Which airlines have cancelled flights to Riyadh?

Airlines serving Riyadh have announced different suspension periods. Some have extended them beyond the airport’s current closure notice.

Etihad Airways has cancelled all flights between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh until Monday, 19 October, according to its latest travel advisory.

Lufthansa has suspended Riyadh services until 16 October, while Air France-KLM has extended its suspension of flights to and from the Saudi capital until the end of the month, Reuters reported.

Philippine Airlines has announced a much longer suspension, cancelling its Manila–Riyadh services until 29 November.

Indian carriers have also been affected. IndiGo has extended cancellations on its Riyadh and Dammam routes until 15 October, while Air India Express has suspended Riyadh services until the same date.

And Gulf Air announced on X that it was cancelling flights to and from Riyadh until midnight on 17 October.

Flights between the UAE and Riyadh are also being disrupted. Emirates has cancelled its three scheduled Dubai–Riyadh services on 12 and 13 October, while flydubai has cancelled flights FZ847, FZ841 and FZ855 on both days.

Air Arabia has also cancelled selected Sharjah–Riyadh services on 12 and 13 October.

Saudi Arabia’s own airlines have been affected too. Riyadh Air has published cancellations for 12 October, including services linking the capital with Jeddah, Cairo, Dubai, London Heathrow and Madrid.

Saudia, flynas and flyadeal have also recorded substantial disruption, although cancellation dates for their Riyadh operations have not been confirmed.

Will Delta’s new flights from Atlanta to Riyadh go ahead?

The airport closure comes just 11 days before Delta Air Lines was due to launch its first nonstop service between Atlanta and Riyadh.

The route had been scheduled to begin on 23 October, using Airbus A350-900 aircraft. Delta plans to operate daily flights initially, before reducing the frequency to three times a week.

However, it was reported today that Delta is now delaying the launch until March 2027.

Delta Air Lines, which was set to launch flights between Atlanta and Riyadh on 23 October, has delayed the inaugural flight until March 2027, “amid evolving developments in the region.” https://t.co/YoEklUZgsP

— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) October 12, 2026

Delta chief executive Ed Bastian told CNBC last week that “safety is going to make the call” when asked whether the launch would proceed.

Meanwhile, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has warned US airlines to exercise caution when flying to or over Saudi Arabia, citing risks from military activity and interference with navigation systems. That warning remains in effect until 10 December.

It is separate from the airport closure notice and does not mean Riyadh will remain closed until then.

What should passengers travelling to Riyadh do?

Anyone booked to fly into or out of Riyadh is advised to check with their airline before travelling to the airport.

Although the latest NOTAM covers the period until 17 October, Saudi authorities have not confirmed when King Khalid International Airport will reopen to commercial flights.