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# SAUDI ARABIA: Riyadh Air Suspends Bulk of Flights as Carriers Start Bussing Pax to Riyadh
- URL: https://insideaviation.news/saudi-arabia-riyadh-air-suspends-bulk-of-flights-as-carriers-start-bussing-pax-to-riyadh/
- Published: 2026-10-21T05:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-21T14:32:25.000Z
- Description: RIYADH, Saudi Arabia: Saudi carriers have adjusted to the reality of having a key hub closed to scheduled traffic - Riyadh (RUH/OERK) - with namesake carrier Riyadh Air cancelling its flights - domestic and international - through to October 24.
- Author: Inside Aviation News
- Tags: Saudi Arabia, Riyadh Air, Riyadh, Suspension of operations, Saudia, flynas, Houthis, Iran war

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia

- Saudi carriers have adjusted to the reality of having a key hub [closed to scheduled traffic](https://insideaviation.news/saudi-arabia-riyadh-airport-reopens-but-not-to-scheduled-traffic/) \- Riyadh (RUH/OERK) - with namesake carrier Riyadh Air cancelling its flights - domestic and international - through to October 24.
- Riyadh airport has been repeatedly targeted by the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen as part of its role in the broader US-Iran conflict.
- As per its site, and as of 20 October, Riyadh Air is hopeful of resuming domestic flights to Jeddah from October 25 with only services to Pakistan, the Philippines, Bangladesh, and Malaysia listed as cancelled. Changes remain entirely possible however.
- For its part, Saudia says it has re-routed its Riyadh-bound flights through Al Qassim and Dammam airports. Passengers are then being trucked overall to Riyadh.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/9f/06/9f06957b-c580-46e1-850c-cc2364e828b8/content/images/2026/10/image-10.png)

Saudia Flight Advisory

- Qassim airport is around 375 kilometres from Riyadh with a bus journey time of 5 hours while Dammam is 410 kilometres from Riyadh with a bus journey time of 5.5 hours.
- Saudia has also re-routed various Riyadh services through its Jeddah hub.
- Flynas has likewise followed suit with the bulk of its hub network shifted to Jeddah and Dammam. As with Saudia, passengers to Riyadh are being routed through Qassim for onward travel overland to the capital.
- The Houthi militia in Yemen have previously stated that all airports in Saudi Arabia,[ save for those in proximity to the Muslim holy sites of Mecca and Medina](https://insideaviation.news/yemen-houthis-renew-warning-to-airlines-against-using-saudi-airports-except-jeddah-and-medina/), i.e. Jeddah and Medina airports, are legitimate targets.

Sources:

- [Daily Times Pakistan](https://dailytimes.com.pk/1569796/riyadh-flight-operations-resume-via-alternative-airports/?ref=insideaviation.news)
- [Riyadh Air](https://www.riyadhair.com/en/travel-update?ref=insideaviation.news)
- [Saudia](https://www.saudia.com/en-SA/flightstatus?ref=insideaviation.news)