Riyadh Air has temporarily moved flights on six routes from Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport (RUH) to Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz International Airport (ELQ) in Al Qassim from October 25, the airline said.
The shift covers London Heathrow, Cairo, Dhaka, Lahore, Islamabad and Jeddah. Al Qassim lies about 400km northwest of Riyadh, around four and a half hours by coach.
The move comes as operations at King Khalid International remain constrained, with the airport cancelling 29% of flights last week while a permission rule for airlines stayed in place. Riyadh Air did not give a reason for the change and described it as temporary.
The airline is running complimentary coaches between Riyadh and Al Qassim. Passengers check in at the InterContinental Durrat Al Riyadh hotel, where check-in opens 8 hours 15 minutes before departure and closes 6 hours 30 minutes before.
Coaches leave 6 hours 15 minutes before each flight and reach the airport about 1 hour 45 minutes before departure. Bags are checked through, so passengers go straight to security and passport control on arrival.
Passengers who travel to Al Qassim independently can check in at the airport, where check-in opens three hours before departure. The airline advises them to arrive at least three hours ahead of their flight.
Riyadh Air told passengers to check their booking for confirmed airport and journey details, and has published a journey guide on its website.
Riyadh Air is Saudi Arabia’s new national carrier, owned by the Public Investment Fund. It launched commercial operations in 2025 from its Riyadh hub.
