SAUDI ARABIA: Riyadh Airport Reopens but Not to Scheduled Traffic
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia: Riyadh King Khalid International Airport (RUH/OERK) has reopened but not to scheduled traffic.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia
- Riyadh King Khalid International Airport (RUH/OERK) has reopened but not to scheduled traffic.
- NOTAM A3650/26, effective October 17, 2026, from 1845Z and valid until further notice, says all departing and arriving traffic requires prior permission from the Saudi General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA).
- NOTAM A3651/26 says the airfield is also not available to any aircraft planning backup diversion routes.
- Riyadh's critical infrastructure has been subject to repeat missile attacks by Houthi militia in Yemen resulting in the damage/destruction of various aircraft as well as numerous human casualties.
- Carriers serving the airfield have offered various timelines for the resumption of scheduled services to the Saudi capital. However, given the circumstances, most are optimistic.
- Riyadh Air said that October 18, 2026, saw widespread cancellations affecting both regional and international routes. Domestic travel between Riyadh and Jeddah was heavily hit, with four round-trip flight pairings axed (RX017/018, RX001/002, RX011/012, and RX027/028). Regionally, operations to Dubai (RX243/244) and Cairo (RX319/320, RX331/1332) were grounded.
- On the international front, long-haul and transcontinental services were significantly impacted, resulting in the cancellation of scheduled round trips connecting Riyadh to London (RX401/402), Madrid (RX531/532), Dhaka (RX763/764), Islamabad (RX659/660), Manila (RX873/874), and Mumbai (RX697/698).
- The disruptions continue into October 19, 2026, with an identical suspension of all the primary international and regional sectors from the previous day, alongside additional domestic service reductions. All long-haul flights to London, Madrid, Dhaka, Islamabad, Manila, and Mumbai remain entirely cancelled, as do regional routes to Dubai and Cairo (specifically RX319/320 and RX331/332).
- For domestic routes, the impact expands even further; in addition to the continuation of the four cancelled Jeddah round trips from October 18, a fifth round-trip pairing between Riyadh and Jeddah (RX009/010) has been added to the cancellation list. Furthermore, a new international round-trip suspension has been enacted for the day, grounding flights between Riyadh and Bangkok (RX853/854).
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