A notice to airmen in force at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh since 17 October requires every arriving and departing flight to obtain prior permission from Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation, and lists no end date, according to Airways Magazine. Semafor reported on 20 October that the airport officially reopened on 18 October under that restriction, but that most scheduled flights this week have been cancelled; Cirium data reported by Gulf News show 181 of 274 scheduled Riyadh departures, and 322 of 941 across the Kingdom, cancelled or not operated on 19 October. No public statement from the civil aviation authority has been found, and no date for PIA to resume its Riyadh flights has been announced.
Pilgrims should confirm their flight and their routing to Makkah with the airline or their Umrah operator before leaving for the airport.
Sources
- Airways Magazine, Helwing Villamizar airwaysmag.com/new-post/riyadh-airport-reopens-restrictions-airline-suspensions
- Semafor, Ed Clowes semafor.com/article/10/20/2026/airlines-shun-reopened-riyadh-airport-after-last-weeks-attacks
- Gulf News, Lekshmy Pavithran gulfnews.com/business/aviation/uae-flight-status-today-saudi-disruptions-and-full-list-of-delays-cancellations-1.500716836
This update states what the sources above reported on the date shown. It is general information, not legal advice, and the position can change at short notice. Read how our travel advisories are researched and signed.