New Delhi, October 13: Flying to Saudi Arabia this week? Check your booking first. Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport will remain closed until at least Saturday, October 17, and IndiGo, Akasa Air and other carriers have scrapped their Saudi flights after deadly attacks on the capital.

How the closure came about

The airport has been shut since Saturday, when an attack reportedly killed 13 people and wounded more than 300. Sunday brought another, with one person reported dead and nearly a dozen hurt. Yemen’s Houthi group has claimed attacks on the capital, and on Monday night it said it had fired a ballistic missile at the airport. Saudi Arabia said around the same time that it had intercepted a missile headed for Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority extended the closure on Monday while inspections continue. The latest notice to airmen keeps the airport closed until 2100 GMT on October 17, midnight in Riyadh, but it doesn’t promise a reopening that day.

Riyadh usually handles about 700 flights daily. Nearly half of all scheduled departures across the kingdom were disrupted on Monday, according to reports.

Indian carriers

IndiGo has cancelled everything to and from Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah until October 17. Just a day earlier, its Riyadh and Dammam cancellations ended on October 15, so the new notice stretches things further. It has asked passengers to look up their flight status on its website before leaving for the airport.

Akasa Air has suspended Riyadh and Jeddah flights until October 17, citing risks to safe operations. Its first suspension ran only to October 13. Passengers who are affected can ask for a full refund.

Air India and Air India Express have both stopped Riyadh services until October 15.

Global airlines

Others have cut back too. The Lufthansa Group has cancelled Riyadh flights until October 16, and Air France-KLM has suspended services to the city until the end of the month. Gulf Air is off the route from October 12 to 17. Etihad has paused Saudi services until October 13, and that could be extended. Delta has also pushed its planned Atlanta-Riyadh nonstop, meant to begin on October 23, back to March 2027.

If you are booked

Look up your flight on the airline’s website or app before anything else, since several carriers have already extended their cancellations once. If yours is cancelled, ask about a refund or a free rebooking. Those who bought through a travel agent should call the agent as well. And if you are travelling for work, Umrah or family, keep an eye on advisories from the Indian government.

Whether Saturday really marks the end of the shutdown is anyone’s guess. Airlines will most likely wait for Saudi authorities to give the all-clear before putting Riyadh back on their schedules.

© Copyright 2026. All Rights Reserved. Powered by Vygr Media.