Riyadh airport disruption continues after Houthi attack

Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport suspended flights for more than an hour on Wednesday morning following Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, with disruptions continuing into Thursday.

As of Thursday, Flightradar24 showed a total of 122 delayed flights, including both arrivals and departures, accounting for 15% of operations, while 32 flights, or 4%, had been cancelled. The airport’s disruption index stood at 1.3, indicating an increase in disruption levels.

Flightradar24 earlier reported today that flights to Riyadh were holding again following Wednesday’s disruption. It later said the airport was operational again, although Riyadh is now topping its airport disruption list.

The disruption comes as three civilians have been killed and around 36 injured in Houthi attacks on Abha and Riyadh’s King Khalid International airports, according to a statement from the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation.

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group said on Thursday that it had attacked King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh with a ballistic missile, Reuters reported.

Saudi authorities had not immediately confirmed the latest reported strike or provided details on any disruption to airport operations.

Philippine Airlines has cancelled two scheduled flights between Manila and Riyadh amid the worsening security situation in the Middle East. The affected flights are PR654 from Manila to Riyadh on October 8, 2026, and the return flight PR655 from Riyadh to Manila on October 10.

Philippine Airlines said its operational teams are assessing airport conditions and airspace safety to determine the status of subsequent flights. Passengers affected by the cancellations are being notified and offered available options, including rebooking or refunds.

KLM has suspended flights to Riyadh and Dammam until October 25, while Cathay Pacific said its Riyadh services are currently suspended and are scheduled to resume on October 26 under a revised schedule.

flydubai has cancelled select flights to Abha, including FZ815 and FZ811. However, the airline’s Riyadh services continue to operate.

British Airways has permanently discontinued its services to Jeddah, while its Riyadh service resumed on October 1, 2026.