Riyadh airport reopened - Foreign flight suspensions persisted Monday

As of Monday, Oct. 19, most international and regional airlines continued to suspend flights to Riyadh after King Khalid International Airport reopened Sunday following a week-long shutdown caused by attacks. More than a third of scheduled departures across Saudi Arabia were canceled or did not operate Monday, according to Skift, citing aviation analytics company Cirium.

The airport’s reopening did not bring a broad return of international service. Skift reported that Saudi carriers had restored service, while the majority of international and regional airlines continued to suspend flights to Riyadh. For passengers, that distinction matters: an airport accepting aircraft is not the same as an airline restoring a booked flight.

The latest operating figures describe Monday’s disruption, not a confirmed Tuesday schedule. They show an improvement from Sunday, but also a Saudi aviation network still heavily affected by the attacks.

Riyadh flight cancellations remained high Monday

Around 322 out of 941 scheduled flights from Saudi Arabia, or 34%, were canceled or did not fly Monday, Skift reported, citing Cirium. On Sunday, more than half of scheduled flights in Saudi Arabia had been canceled or had not operated.

Riyadh remained the most disrupted airport in the figures Skift published. Its cancellation rate was 66% on Monday, followed by Abha at 48%, Dammam at 31% and Jeddah at 15%, according to Cirium data cited by the publication.

Those differences describe airport-level disruption, rather than the availability of replacement flights. Jeddah’s lower cancellation rate, for example, should not be read as confirmation that a particular airline or connection was operating through that airport.

The reopening also updates earlier closure reports. In its Oct. 14 coverage, Reuters reported that authorities had closed Riyadh’s airport until Oct. 17. Skift’s subsequent report establishes that it reopened Sunday, Oct. 18, after the week-long shutdown.

Which airlines reported Riyadh suspensions?

In its reporting on the shutdown, Simple Flying said Lufthansa Group carriers and Air France-KLM had suspended Riyadh flights. It also reported that Delta Air Lines canceled its planned Atlanta-Riyadh service until March 2027 at the earliest.

The Delta decision is distinct from a short suspension of existing service. It concerns a planned route, and the wording does not establish a firm launch date in March. Travelers considering that service should not treat the earliest possible timing as a confirmed operating commitment.

Riyadh Air’s disruption extended across its network during the airport shutdown. Simple Flying reported that the airline’s website listed canceled services through Oct. 17, affecting all 15 of its destinations. Those dates describe the shutdown period; they should not be carried forward as evidence that the entire network remains suspended following the reopening.

The same report, citing Cirium, said more than 3,100 Saudi departures were canceled or not flown between Oct. 8 and 14. Riyadh Air canceled over 70% of its schedule during that period. These are earlier disruption figures, separate from the Monday snapshot published by Skift.

Riyadh Air’s reported rebooking window

Simple Flying reported a specific option for Riyadh Air passengers booked to travel up to Oct. 24: they could change flights free of charge to another Riyadh Air flight within 21 days of the original travel date.

That is a defined travel window, not an unrestricted postponement. The reported arrangement applies to another Riyadh Air flight and ties the replacement journey to the original date. It should not be interpreted as permission to switch to another airline under the same terms.

For an eligible passenger, the useful question is whether an operating replacement flight fits inside that window. The airport’s reopening alone does not answer that question.

Aircraft movements during the closure also need careful interpretation. Simple Flying reported that Riyadh Air moved three Boeing 787-9 aircraft from Riyadh to AlUla and Medina on Oct. 13, while a fourth aircraft was repositioned from Jeddah to Lahore. These were reported as aircraft relocations, not an announcement of replacement passenger services.

Two of the aircraft leaving Riyadh flew to AlUla, while the third went to Medina. Flight-tracking data cited by Simple Flying showed departures at 3:16 p.m., 3:32 p.m. and 3:39 p.m. local time—a span of 23 minutes. The disruption came just four months after Riyadh Air’s first scheduled service, which departed Riyadh for London Heathrow on June 10.

Attacks and security warnings accompanied the disruption

Reuters reported on Oct. 14 that Riyadh’s international airport had come under attack four times, including a deadly Saturday strike. The Houthis also threatened further attacks on Saudi airports and oil facilities, describing their campaign as retaliation for Saudi strikes on Yemen.

According to Reuters, Saudi Arabia resumed its military campaign in Yemen in support of the internationally recognized government after Houthi gains the previous month. Reuters also reported that the Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted a ballistic missile fired toward Riyadh on Oct. 14. The closure occurred amid a continuing security crisis, rather than an isolated airport incident.

Simple Flying additionally reported an FAA notice valid until Dec. 10 advising U.S. carriers to exercise caution when flying to or over Saudi Arabia. That reported caution notice is not the same as a blanket flight prohibition, nor does its end date promise normal service before or afterward.

For existing bookings, two separate facts matter: whether the airport is operating and whether the booked carrier is flying the route. Skift’s Monday reporting illustrated the distinction. Riyadh had reopened, yet most international and regional airlines were still suspending service, and its cancellation rate remained the highest among the Saudi airports listed.