Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport resumed flight operations on Sunday, October 25, following a two-week closure after attacks on the Saudi capital. However, flight-tracking data indicated that most scheduled departures remained cancelled despite the airport’s reopening.

The disruption comes amid continuing missile and drone threats facing Saudi Arabia, with Yemen’s Houthi movement claiming attacks on airports and critical infrastructure.

Riyadh Airport Reopens with Limited Flights

King Khalid International Airport’s website listed several domestic and international flights scheduled for Sunday, including arrivals from Dubai, Paris and Cairo.

Under new terminal arrangements announced on Saturday:

• Terminal 1: Domestic flights operated by Saudi national carriers.
• Terminal 2: International flights operated by Saudi national carriers.

Airport authorities advised passengers with confirmed bookings to contact their airlines to verify flight status and schedules before travelling to the airport.

Flight-tracking platform Flightradar24 showed that only a limited number of flights had departed, while most remained cancelled. Saudi authorities had not immediately provided further details about the extent of resumed operations.

Saudi Flight Disruption: Key Figures

More than 7,800 flights departing from Saudi Arabia were cancelled or recorded as no-fly between October 8 and 25, according to aviation analytics company Cirium.

Of the 17,299 scheduled departures across the kingdom during this period, 7,802 were cancelled or recorded as no-fly, representing 45.1 per cent of all scheduled departures.

Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport recorded the highest level of disruption among the major Saudi airports, with nearly 86 per cent of scheduled departures affected.

• 7,802 flights: Cancelled or recorded as no-fly across Saudi Arabia.
• 45.1 per cent: Share of scheduled departures affected nationwide.
• 85.96 per cent: Share of scheduled departures affected in Riyadh.
• October 12: The daily disruption rate peaked at 60.21 per cent.
• October 25: The disruption rate climbed to 44.23 per cent, up from 16.51 per cent on the previous day.

Which Saudi Airports Were Worst Affected?

Cirium’s figures show varying levels of flight disruption across Saudi Arabia between October 8 and 25.

Riyadh

King Khalid International Airport recorded 4,071 affected departures out of 4,736 scheduled flights, representing a disruption rate of 85.96 per cent.

Jeddah

King Abdulaziz International Airport recorded 1,402 affected departures out of 6,380 scheduled flights, or 21.97 per cent.

Dammam

King Fahd International Airport recorded 823 affected departures out of 1,956 scheduled flights, representing 42.08 per cent.

Other Airports

• Taif: 109 of 190 departures affected — 57.37 per cent.
• Abha: 297 of 636 departures affected — 46.7 per cent.
• Medina: 286 of 1,592 departures affected — 17.96 per cent.

Daily Flight Disruption Across Saudi Arabia

The daily cancellation or no-fly rate fluctuated considerably during the reporting period.

• October 8: 385 of 1,194 departures affected — 32.24 per cent.
• October 11: 620 of 1,096 departures affected — 56.57 per cent.
• October 12: 631 of 1,048 departures affected — 60.21 per cent.
• October 15: 701 of 1,178 departures affected — 59.51 per cent.
• October 18–21: The daily disruption rate remained above 50 per cent.
• October 22: 354 of 868 departures affected — 40.78 per cent.
• October 24: 105 of 636 departures affected — 16.51 per cent.
• October 25: 448 of 1,013 departures affected — 44.23 per cent.

Flight disruption eased on October 24 before rising sharply again on October 25, the day Riyadh airport reopened.

Explosions Reported as Security Concerns Persist

Explosions were heard across Riyadh early on Sunday after alerts warned of a potential aerial threat. The Saudi-led coalition said it had intercepted a ballistic missile and two drones targeting the capital, followed by a cruise missile aimed at Khamis Mushait.

Yemen’s Houthi movement claimed attacks on Saudi airports and critical infrastructure.

Saudi Civil Defence reported that two people had been injured and damage had been caused by falling debris. Debris incidents were also reported in the Mecca and Medina regions on Saturday, although the Houthis denied targeting the two cities.

Meanwhile, the United States ordered non-emergency government employees and their families to leave Saudi Arabia, citing security risks. In its latest advisory, the US Embassy in Riyadh warned of further attacks, possible airspace closures and flight disruptions. US citizens were urged to exercise extreme caution and check flight status directly with their airlines.

Airlines Extend Saudi Flight Suspensions

Several international airlines have extended flight suspensions or adjusted schedules amid the disruption. The dates below reflect the information available for this report and should be checked against the latest airline advisories.

UAE Airlines

• Etihad Airways: Flights between Abu Dhabi and Dammam and Riyadh cancelled through November 5.
• Emirates: Services to Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah suspended through October 25, according to the information supplied.
• flydubai: Flights to Riyadh, Dammam and Abha suspended until October 29.
• Air Arabia: Flights from Sharjah to Riyadh, Abha, Dammam and Taif cancelled, with no resumption date specified.

Indian Airlines

• Air India and Air India Express: Flights to and from Riyadh and Dammam suspended until November 7, while Jeddah services are suspended until October 31.
• IndiGo: Flights to and from Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Medina cancelled until October 31.
• Akasa Air: Jeddah flights suspended until November 10 and Riyadh services until November 30.

Eligible passengers whose bookings are affected may qualify for refunds or rebooking, subject to the relevant airline's terms and conditions.

Other International Airlines

• Oman Air and SalamAir: Riyadh services suspended or cancelled until October 31. SalamAir has also suspended Dammam flights through that date.
• Pakistan International Airlines: Riyadh flights suspended since October 9, with no resumption date specified.
• Philippine Airlines: Riyadh flights PR654 and PR655 suspended until November 29.
• Lufthansa Group: Riyadh flights suspended until November 18 and Dammam services through November 30.
• KLM: Riyadh and Dammam cancellations extended through October 31.
• Scoot: Singapore–Jeddah flights cancelled until December 2.
• British Airways: Limited Riyadh service scheduled to resume on November 3, with one flight daily.
• Eurowings: Jeddah flights scheduled to resume on November 12.
• Delta Air Lines: The launch of its Atlanta–Riyadh route postponed until March 2027.

Malaysia Airlines had previously announced the resumption of Jeddah and Medina services on October 18, while Air France’s previously announced Riyadh suspension ran through October 24. Travellers should confirm the latest operating status of both airlines' services.

What Travellers Should Know

The Cirium data covers departures from Saudi Arabian airports between October 8 and 25 and classifies affected flights as cancelled or recorded as no-fly. The figures do not establish that every affected flight was disrupted for the same reason.

Passengers travelling to or from Saudi Arabia should take the following precautions:

• Check flight status directly with the airline before leaving for the airport.
• Confirm departure times and terminal details, particularly for flights from Riyadh.
• Monitor airline notifications for cancellations, delays and schedule changes.
• Check available rebooking and refund options if a flight is affected.

Although Riyadh airport has reopened, continuing security alerts, high cancellation figures and extended airline suspensions mean that travellers should prepare for possible further disruption.