Airlines shun reopened Riyadh airport after last week's attacks

Most scheduled flights cancelled despite official reopening, carriers cite airspace warnings

By LineZotpaper

Published20 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport reopened on Sunday, but most scheduled flights have been cancelled this week as airlines remain wary of Saudi airspace in the wake of last week's attacks, which damaged six aircraft and prompted Saudi carriers to evacuate aircraft worth billions of dollars.

Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport officially reopened on Sunday, yet most scheduled flights have been cancelled so far this week, according to reporting from Reuters cited by Semafor.

Saudi authorities now require airlines to obtain prior permission for every flight, a requirement set out in a NOTAM issued over the weekend. US and European regulators are also warning carriers about the kingdom's airspace.

Several international airlines have responded with extended suspensions. Lufthansa has suspended flights until Nov. 18, Cathay Pacific until the end of January, and Delta has pushed back the launch of its Atlanta route to March 2027.

The attacks damaged six aircraft with a combined insured value of about $375 million, The Wall Street Journal reported, prompting Saudi carriers to evacuate aircraft worth up to $4 billion from the city.

With commercial options curtailed, many travelers are now driving to Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE to catch flights. The Financial Times reports that wealthy passengers are paying a premium of more than 50% compared with prewar rates to fly privately from al-Qassim airport, almost four hours' drive north of Riyadh.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The near-empty reopening of a major Gulf hub shows that formal declarations of safety do not necessarily restore commercial confidence after an attack.
Insurers, regulators and airlines are now pricing in elevated risk for Saudi airspace, which could reshape route planning and ticket prices for months.
Travelers face widespread disruption, with some driving hundreds of kilometres to other Gulf states for ordinary commercial flights.

Background

Riyadh is Saudi Arabia's capital and King Khalid International Airport is the country's main gateway for international travel, making its operations important to business and pilgrim traffic across the region. The airport reopened after last week's attacks, but the combination of a permission regime and outside regulatory warnings has left carriers unconvinced that normal operations can safely resume.

Attacks that damage civilian aircraft and force carriers to relocate fleets are a serious test for any airport, and the pattern here reflects a wider industry practice of suspending services until security conditions are judged stable.

Key Perspectives

Airlines: Carriers such as Lufthansa, Cathay Pacific and Delta are taking a cautious line, preferring to suspend or delay services rather than risk operating into airspace that regulators are warning about.

Saudi authorities: The reopening and the NOTAM permission system suggest Riyadh wants to present the airport as operational and in control of access, while keeping oversight of every flight into the city.

US and European regulators: Their warnings to carriers signal that official assessments of the airspace remain unsettled, which may be the main factor keeping airlines away.

Travelers: Passengers face cancelled bookings and long overland detours, or steep premiums for private flights from al-Qassim, illustrating how quickly the attack has reshaped ordinary travel.

What to Watch

Whether Lufthansa resumes services as scheduled on Nov. 18 or extends its suspension.
Whether the NOTAM permission requirement is relaxed as a sign of improving conditions.
Whether other airlines follow Delta in formally delaying planned routes into Riyadh.

Sources

Airlines shun reopened Riyadh airport after last week’s attacks · Semafor

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 9 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedAirlines shun reopened Riyadh airport after last week’s attacks.Semafor: “Airlines shun reopened Riyadh airport after last week’s attacks”
SupportedMost scheduled flights have been cancelled this week despite the airport reopening.Semafor: “Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport officially reopened on Sunday, but most scheduled flights have been canceled so far this week.”
Not in the sourcesCarriers cite airspace warnings as the reason for cancellations.Semafor: “US and European regulators are warning carriers about the kingdom’s airspace.”
Not in the sourcesAirlines remain wary of Saudi airspace because of last week’s attacks.Semafor: “most scheduled flights have been canceled so far this week. Saudi authorities require airlines to get prior permission for every flight”
SupportedThe attacks damaged six aircraft.Semafor: “Attacks on Riyadh’s airport damaged six aircraft”
Partly supportedSaudi carriers evacuated aircraft worth billions of dollars from the city.Semafor: “prompting Saudi carriers to evacuate aircraft worth up to $4 billion from the city.”
SupportedSaudi authorities require prior permission for every flight, under a NOTAM issued over the weekend.Semafor: “Saudi authorities require airlines to get prior permission for every flight, according to a NOTAM issued over the weekend”
SupportedUS and European regulators are warning carriers about Saudi airspace.Semafor: “US and European regulators are warning carriers about the kingdom’s airspace.”
SupportedLufthansa suspended flights until Nov. 18, Cathay Pacific until the end of January, and Delta delayed its Atlanta route launch to March 2027.Semafor: “Lufthansa has suspended flights until Nov. 18, Cathay Pacific until the end of January, and Delta has pushed back the launch of its Atlanta route to March 2027.”
SupportedThe six damaged aircraft had a combined insured value of about $375 million.Semafor: “damaged six aircraft with a combined insured value of about $375 million”
SupportedMany travelers are driving to Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE to catch commercial flights.Semafor: “Many travelers are now driving to Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE to catch commercial flights”
SupportedWealthy passengers are paying more than 50% above prewar rates to fly privately from al-Qassim airport, almost four hours north of Riyadh by car.Semafor: “the wealthy are paying a premium of more than 50% compared to prewar rates to fly private out of al-Qassim airport, an almost four hour drive north of Riyadh, according to the Financial Times.”