Airlines fly Riyadh passengers to an airport four hours away as the capital’s flight disruption continues

Saudia and Riyadh Air are rerouting passengers travelling to Riyadh through Al Qassim Airport, hundreds of kilometres from the Saudi capital, with onward road journeys taking over four hours.

Restrictions remain in place at King Khalid International Airport following missile and drone attacks earlier this month.

Saudia is offering passengers flights to Al Qassim, followed by road transfers to Riyadh. Riyadh Air is making similar arrangements for travellers affected by the disruption.

Al Qassim’s Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz International Airport, near Buraydah, is 375km by road from Riyadh.

This road transfer allows airlines to transport passengers to Riyadh without operating directly into King Khalid International Airport, which reopened on 18 October but remains subject to operational restrictions.

Riyadh Air schedules special flights via Al Qassim Airport

Riyadh Air has arranged special flights from London Heathrow, Madrid and Bangkok to Al Qassim on Thursday, 22 October, to bring passengers affected by the disruption back to Saudi Arabia.

According to flight information published by Wego on 21 October, the planned services are:

All times are local. Services remain subject to operational changes.

Passengers arriving at Al Qassim will be transferred to Riyadh by complimentary bus. The transfer is included with the flight ticket and requires no separate reservation.

The special flights don’t constitute a resumption of Riyadh Air’s normal services to the capital. The airline continues to adjust its operations following the attacks.

Why are airlines using Al Qassim instead of Riyadh airport?

King Khalid International Airport has partially reopened, but airlines cannot yet operate unrestricted services.

As AGN has previously reported, two aviation notices took effect on 17 October.

NOTAM A3650/26 requires aircraft operators to obtain prior permission from Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) before landing or departing. A second notice, A3651/26, prevents airlines from using Riyadh as a planned diversion airport.

Airlines must also consider the continuing security situation, aircraft availability and the practical difficulties of restoring schedules after an extended shutdown.

Al Qassim provides an alternative within Saudi Arabia, allowing passengers to complete the final part of their journey by road rather than waiting for normal services to resume at Riyadh.

Other Saudi airports have also been used to accommodate diverted flights. Saudia has rerouted some passengers through Dammam and Jeddah. flynas has adjusted services across its domestic network.

King Fahd Airport attack adds to Saudi aviation disruption

King Fahd Airport in Dammam suffered an attack late Wednesday evening, which killed one and injured eight others. The Saudi civil aviation authority confirmed the attack and halted operations at the airport. 

Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority reporting an attack late Wednesday evening on King Fahd Airport in Dammam has killed one and injured eight others.  Operations at the airport have been halted since approximately 23:15 local time. https://t.co/iIMzYss8sl https://t.co/pMsodunc8k

— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) October 21, 2026

Limited flights resume at Riyadh’s King Khalid International airport

The Associated Press reported on 21 October that a limited number of Saudi airline flights had operated into and out of Riyadh, including services by Saudia and flynas. This is consistent with Flightradar24 data, which shows some Saudia and flynas flights on the schedule.  

The airport closed after repeated attacks began on 9 October. The strikes damaged airport facilities and commercial aircraft, including a Saudia Airbus A320 and a Riyadh Air Boeing 787.

Six aircraft sustained damage with a combined insured value of approximately $375 million. 

Airlines also moved aircraft away from Riyadh to reduce their exposure to further attacks.

The disruption has continued despite the airport’s partial reopening. Lufthansa, KLM, Air France and several Asian and Gulf carriers have extended their flight suspensions.

Airlines have postponed service resumption, and some service suspensions extend into next year.

Passengers travelling to Riyadh should expect delays and longer journeys

Passengers with plans to fly to Riyadh should check their flight status. Those rerouted through Al Qassim should allow additional time for the bus transfer, which can take four to five hours depending on traffic.

Riyadh Air is offering affected passengers the option to rebook eligible journeys without a change fee or request a refund, according to its official travel advisory.

The airline has not announced when its full schedule at King Khalid International Airport will resume.

For now, some passengers travelling to Saudi Arabia’s capital will arrive several hundred kilometres short of Riyadh and continue by road.