King Khalid International Airport (RUH) reopened on 25 October after a two-week closure, but flight operations remain markedly reduced as airlines adjust schedules in response to continued security concerns following multiple strikes on the Saudi capital’s airport.
What airlines are doing and which routes are affected
Most scheduled departures from Riyadh continued to be cancelled on Monday, with only a small number of flights visible on flight-tracking services. Several carriers have extended suspensions or shifted operations away from King Khalid while others are operating through alternate Saudi airports.
- Saudia is operating some Riyadh-linked services via Dammam and Al Qassim; tickets for these services include a bus transfer arranged by the airline between the airport used and Riyadh.
- Riyadh Air has shifted a number of international services to Al Qassim and, until further notice, is operating only to and from Cairo, Dhaka, Jeddah, London Heathrow (LHR), Lahore and Islamabad — all through Al Qassim. The airline says passengers departing from Riyadh can check in at the InterContinental Durrat Al Riyadh hotel and take a complimentary bus to Al Qassim airport.
- Etihad Airways has cancelled all Abu Dhabi–Riyadh flights until 5 November.
- Emirates plans services from Dubai to Riyadh to resume on 8 November, but the carrier warns that the planned return date is subject to change.
- flydubai has cancelled services to Riyadh through 29 October.
- Air Arabia has suspended services from Sharjah to Riyadh with no resumption date given in its latest update.
Operational implications and passenger arrangements
The operating patterns announced by national and regional carriers mean that passengers booked to fly to or from Riyadh should confirm their booking and departure airport with the airline before travelling. Where services are routed via Al Qassim or Dammam, carriers are organising surface transfers between the disembarkation airport and Riyadh; passengers should check the terms of their ticket and any airline communications about bus transfers, check-in locations and onward connections.
| carrier | operation | notes / date |
|---|---|---|
| Saudia | Operating some Riyadh services via Dammam and Al Qassim | Tickets include bus transfer to Riyadh |
| Riyadh Air | Operating only to/from Cairo, Dhaka, Jeddah, London Heathrow (LHR), Lahore, Islamabad — all via Al Qassim | Check-in at InterContinental Durrat Al Riyadh with complimentary bus to Al Qassim for departures from Riyadh |
| Etihad Airways | All Abu Dhabi–Riyadh flights cancelled | Until 5 November |
| Emirates | Services scheduled to resume | Planned return on 8 November; subject to change |
| flydubai | Services cancelled | Through 29 October |
| Air Arabia | Sharjah–Riyadh services suspended | No resumption date announced |
King Khalid’s partial reopening and the airlines’ varied responses underline the continuing operational fluidity. The extracted reporting noted that Flightradar24 showed only a small number of departures on Monday while the majority of scheduled flights remained cancelled.
Who is affected
Passengers booked on Riyadh services operated by Gulf and international carriers are directly affected — either by cancellations, rerouting to Al Qassim or Dammam, or by having to use airline-arranged surface transfers. Airlines maintaining suspensions have published different return dates, so travellers on affected routes should follow the airline’s latest customer notices and check their booking references for which airport will be used for departure or arrival.
Local arrangements by Riyadh carriers include hotel check-in and complimentary bus transfers for passengers using Al Qassim. Airlines have not, in the extracted reporting, given additional network-wide reinstatement timetables beyond the dates noted above.
Given the reported scale of earlier strikes on Saudi airports this month, and the staggered approach to restoring services, the situation remains dynamic. Passengers should contact their carrier for rebooking, refund or transfer arrangements and confirm which airport — King Khalid International, Al Qassim or Dammam — will be in use for their journey.
