Airlines Suspend Saudi Arabia Flights After Houthi Attacks on Airports, Including Riyadh and Abha
Why It MattersCarrier suspensions are being extended in staggered increments rather than lifted together, so Saudi network disruption now follows each airline's own security threshold and the airport-closure timeline, not a single reopening date.
What happened
Airlines from India, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Europe, Asia and the United States have cancelled or suspended flights to Saudi Arabia amid heightened security concerns after Houthi rebels in Yemen attacked civilian airports, aircraft and aviation infrastructure in the country. Authorities confirmed the death of an Indian national in the October 10 attack on Riyadh airport.
Saudi-led coalition spokesperson Turki Al Maliki said the Houthi movement had carried out 20 attacks on Riyadh airport this month, and that attacks on Abha airport had killed three people and injured 28.
The latest Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) indicates Riyadh airport will remain closed until 2100 GMT on Saturday, October 17, equivalent to midnight in Saudi Arabia at the start of Sunday, October 18, Gulf Business reported. That deadline is not a confirmed reopening time.
Indian and Gulf carriers
Air India and Air India Express extended the suspension of flights to and from Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah until October 20. Akasa Air extended the suspension of all flights to and from Riyadh until October 24 and Jeddah until October 21. IndiGo extended the cancellation of Saudi Arabia flights until October 24.
Qatar Airways has temporarily suspended flights to and from Riyadh and Dammam. Emirates continues to face disruption across its Saudi network, with Dubai services to Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam among those affected, according to Gulf Business. Etihad Airways has cancelled all Abu Dhabi–Riyadh and Abu Dhabi–Dammam flights through October 18, along with flights EY601 (from Abu Dhabi) and EY602 (from Jeddah) through October 18. flydubai extended cancellations affecting Riyadh, Dammam and Abha until October 19.
European, Asian and US carriers
Air France-KLM extended a previous suspension of services to and from Riyadh until the end of October. Cathay Pacific postponed the resumption of its Hong Kong–Dubai and Hong Kong–Riyadh routes through January 31, 2027. Delta delayed its planned Atlanta–Riyadh flights until March 2027.
Lufthansa Group carriers cancelled all Riyadh flights until October 16, with no later extension confirmed in the latest available information. Malaysia Airlines cancelled flights to and from Jeddah and Madinah until October 17 as a precaution.
Industry impact & what to watch
The suspension dates run from October 16 for Lufthansa Group to October 24 for IndiGo and Akasa Air, with Air France-KLM at the end of October and Cathay Pacific and Delta pushed into 2027. Each carrier is setting its own horizon, which means capacity into Saudi Arabia will return unevenly, route by route and airline by airline, rather than on a single date.
The Riyadh NOTAM is the nearest hard marker: it runs to 2100 GMT on October 17, and an expired closure notice does not by itself restore schedules. Lufthansa Group's October 16 date has no confirmed extension in the latest information, so its next announcement is one of the first signals of whether European carriers are returning or prolonging the pause.
Passengers and operators with Saudi exposure will see rolling reschedules as each airline reassesses. The Indian carriers' October 20 to 24 windows and the Etihad and flydubai dates of October 18 and 19 fall within days of each other, so the next round of extensions or restorations should arrive close together.
