SAUDI ARABIA: GACA Closes Riyadh Airport after Latest Houthi Attack Kills 12 and Injures 309

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia

• Saudi Arabia's General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) has temporarily closed Riyadh King Khalid International Airport (RUH/ OERK) following a Houthi missile attack on Saturday, 10 October, which killed 12 people and injured 309 others.
• Death toll comprised four citizens and eight residents of Bangladeshi, American, Egyptian, Jordanian, Syrian, Palestinian and Sudanese nationalities.
• 309 injured receive care in hospitals with some in critical condition.
• Attack caused material damage now under assessment.
• NOTAM subsequently issued suspending all operations at OERK "as a precautionary measure" valid from 1624Z, 10 October to 1800Z, 11 October.
• Saudia has already suffered one hull loss - an A320/A321 - and crew casualties as a result of the Houthi attacks.

The updated, comprehensive list of carriers that have suspended or extended their cancellations to Riyadh includes:

• Akasa Air: Extended its flight suspensions through October 13, 2026. Verified via ANI News.
• Etihad Airways: Extended its flight cancellations between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh through October 12, 2026. Verified via Gulf News.
• Qatar Airways: Cancelled all scheduled routes to Riyadh through October 11, 2026. Verified via ILoveQatar.
• Kuwait Airways: Instantly grounded its round-trip services due to the total airport closure on October 10, 2026. Verified via The Hindu.
• Lufthansa Group: Suspended all services through October 16, 2026. Verified via Daily Sabah.
• Air France: Suspended all flights until October 24, 2026. Verified via The National.
• KLM: Cancelled all services until October 24, 2026. Verified via The National.
• EgyptAir and Air Cairo have cancelled all services to Riyadh for 11 October. Verified via EgyptToday/Reuters.
• Cathay Pacific: Extended its route suspension long-term until January 31, 2027. Verified via The National.
• Air India & Air India Express: Cancelled flights through October 15 and October 14, 2026, respectively, due to the airport operational freeze. Verified via Daily Sabah.
• IndiGo & flydubai: Suspended routes through October 9 and 10, 2026, with subsequent resumptions deferred indefinitely due to the ongoing airport closure. Verified via Daily Sabah and Gulf News.
• Pakistan International Airlines (PIA): Suspended all operations to Riyadh. Verified via The National.
• Air Arabia & Emirates: Maintaining rolling cancellations and operational delays across all flights connecting the UAE to Riyadh. Verified via Gulf News.

Sources:

• Al Arabiya
• Aviation Safety Network