A notice to airmen in force since the evening of 17 October requires every flight to and from Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport to have prior permission from Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation, with no end date, according to Airways Magazine, and Semafor reported on 20 October that the airport officially reopened on 18 October under that rule. Scheduled services have not returned: Cirium data reported by Gulf News show about two thirds of Riyadh's departures cancelled or not operated on 19 October. For 20 October, Emirates lists its Dubai flights to Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam as cancelled while its Madinah flights operate; flydubai has cancelled its Riyadh, Dammam, Abha and Ha'il flights, with Jeddah, Madinah, Gassim, Tabuk and Taif listed as scheduled; Air Arabia's Sharjah flights to Riyadh, Abha, Jizan and Al Jouf are listed as cancelled; and Etihad's cancellations to Riyadh, Dammam and on the EY601 to EY604 Jeddah services run through 24 October.
Residents travelling for Umrah should confirm their flight with the airline 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.