New Delhi/Riyadh. Due to continuous missile and drone attacks by Houthi rebels, the operation of air services at major airports of Saudi Arabia has been seriously affected. In view of security and precaution, the services of IndiGo, Air India and Aqasa Air flying from India to various cities of Saudi Arabia (Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah) have now been completely canceled till 17th October. Apart from this, several other airlines operating flights between UAE and Saudi Arabia have also suspended their services, disrupting more than three thousand flights globally in the last one week. Instructions have been issued to keep Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport closed till October 17 due to security checks.
Comprehensive impact and statistics on flights
According to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium, flight operations from Saudi Arabia’s airports have suffered a major setback in the last few days. More than eighty-nine percent of the total flights scheduled on October 14 operated, while approximately twenty-eight percent of the flights remained cancelled. Earlier, more than fifty-two percent of flights had to be canceled on 13th October and almost sixty percent of flights had to be canceled on 12th October. Overall, about forty percent of scheduled flights have been affected between October 8 and 14, although these figures are likely to change further due to the constantly changing schedules of airlines.
Suspension of services by international airlines
In view of the security crisis in Saudi Arabia’s airspace, many major aviation companies around the world have extended the ban on their flights:
Air France-KLM: All flights to and from Riyadh suspended until the end of October.
Air India: Flights to Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah suspended till October 17.
Akasa Air: Services to Riyadh and Jeddah closed till 17th October.
Cathay Pacific: The resumption of Hong Kong-Riyadh and Hong Kong-Dubai routes was postponed till January 31, 2027.
Delta Airlines: Plan to launch Atlanta-Riyadh service postponed to March 2027.
Gulf Air: Flights from Bahrain to Riyadh canceled till 17th October.
Indigo: Flights to Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Medina will not operate until October 17.
Lufthansa Group: All flights to Riyadh canceled till 16th October.
Malaysia Airlines: As a precautionary measure, flights to Jeddah and Madinah were suspended till October 17.
Philippine Airlines: Flights to Riyadh suspended till November 29.
Qatar Airways: Flights to Riyadh and Dammam temporarily closed.
Services also canceled by Etihad and Flydubai
Etihad Airways has canceled all flights between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh until October 19. Along with this, many major flights on Dammam and Jeddah routes will also not operate during this period. Similarly, flydubai has also suspended its flights to Riyadh, Dammam and Abha till October 19. The airlines have appealed to the affected passengers to contact the respective booking agents or the airline’s official channels to reschedule their journey or obtain a refund.
How long will the ban last at Riyadh Airport?
According to the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued by Saudi Arabia’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation, operations at King Khalid International Airport will be suspended until 9 pm (GMT) on October 17, which is equivalent to midnight on October 28 local time. In view of the ongoing attacks from Yemen, security agencies are thoroughly examining the airport’s infrastructure and operational preparedness. Passengers are advised to check the current flight status on the official website of their respective airlines before leaving for the airport.
