Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport had 185 flights cancelled on October 21, 29% of its schedule, as prior-permission rules stayed in force, Flightradar24 data showed.
The Saudi capital’s main gateway closed on October 10 and reopened late on October 17, yet foreign carriers have been slow to return, with several pushing Riyadh services into November and beyond. Saudi carriers now account for most flights still on the board, and the pace of recovery rests with the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), which must approve every movement.
GACA’s notice to airmen A3650/26, in force since 18:45 UTC on October 17 with no end date, requires prior permission for every arrival and departure. A second notice, A3651/26, bars aircraft from naming the airport as a diversion alternate.
By 11:50 local time, Flightradar24 rated disruption at the airport at 5.0, the top of its scale, and ranked it the most disrupted airport it tracks, with an average delay of 307 minutes. Of departures scheduled between 04:00 and 18:00, 62 had been cancelled and none of the morning’s flights had been logged as departed. Inbound, Saudia’s SV805 from Dhaka diverted to Jeddah and flynas’ XY316 from Islamabad diverted to Dammam.
Saudia, flynas, flyadeal and Riyadh Air services remained listed for the afternoon, including Riyadh Air flights to Islamabad, Mumbai, Dubai and Cairo. Cancelled foreign departures included Gulf Air to Bahrain, flydubai to Dubai, Etihad to Abu Dhabi, Egyptair to Cairo and Middle East Airlines to Beirut.
Etihad, IndiGo and Air India have suspended Riyadh flights until October 24. Lufthansa has cancelled Riyadh services until November 18 and Philippine Airlines until November 29, while Cathay Pacific has pushed its Riyadh resumption to January 31, 2027. Delta has moved its planned Atlanta-Riyadh launch from October 23 to March 2027.
King Khalid International opened in November 1983 about 35 km north of central Riyadh and is run by Riyadh Airports Company. It is a hub for Saudia, flynas, flyadeal and Riyadh Air.
