Riyadh Airport Stays Shut After a Second Terminal Strike, and Airlines Cancel Flights Into Midweek and Beyond

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was still closed early on Monday, October 12, 2026, after a projectile hit one of its passenger terminals on Sunday. It was the second strike on the same terminal complex in two days.

By 06:30 Riyadh time on Monday, FlightAware listed 586 cancellations at the airport for the day, against nine delays.

What happened on Sunday

Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said Sunday’s strike killed one person, a Pakistani national, and injured 11, ABC News reported. Saudi officials said an “unknown projectile” struck Passenger Hall No. 4.

The hall sits in the complex for terminals 3 and 4, which handle domestic flights, and the same terminal was hit on Saturday, according to the report carried by Business Standard.

India’s embassy said one of its citizens died on Sunday of injuries from Saturday’s attack, which brings that day’s toll to 13. Saudi authorities later said King Fahd International Airport in Dammam had also been attacked, giving few details.

The Houthis claimed the attacks. They renewed their warning to “all airlines, experts, employees, workers and travelers against using Saudi airports and airspace,” calling them “a theater of operations” for their forces.

How long the closure lasts

AeroCorner found no GACA announcement of a reopening time as of Monday morning. Reports of the extension differ: ABC News in Australia, citing Flightradar24, put it at 9 p.m. on Sunday at the earliest.

Reuters reported that the airport would stay closed until at least 5 p.m. EDT on Monday, which is midnight on Monday night in Riyadh.

Some flights did move on Sunday. FlightAware counted 502 cancellations at the airport that day, but also logged 147 delays, a sign that some flights still operated.

Monday’s list is longer, and Saudi airlines dominate it. Saudia accounted for 255 of the cancellations, 95% of its Riyadh schedule, followed by flynas with 121 and flyadeal with 82.

The domestic terminal complex is the part of the airport hit twice, and Saudi Arabia’s own airlines carry most of the cancellations. Foreign carriers have mostly paused Riyadh flights until a set date.

Which airlines have canceled Riyadh flights

These are the dates airlines had given by October 11, as reported by Gulf News, The National and Reuters. Some have already been extended, so check with the airline before traveling.

Airline	Riyadh flights
flydubai	All canceled until October 14
Emirates	Dubai to Riyadh canceled October 11 and 12
Etihad Airways	Canceled through October 13
Air Arabia	Sharjah to Riyadh canceled October 11 and 12
Qatar Airways	Schedule “adjusted”; all 14 Monday flights listed as canceled
Lufthansa Group	Suspended through October 16
Air France and KLM	Suspended until October 24
British Airways	One daily flight to resume November 3
Cathay Pacific	Canceled through January 31, 2027

The cuts reach beyond Riyadh. Emirates and Etihad also canceled some Dammam and Jeddah flights between October 11 and 13, according to Gulf News.

What it means for travelers

Passengers booked to Riyadh this week should check their options with the airline first. flydubai is pointing customers to its website for both, and Etihad and Qatar Airways ask travelers to check their flight status before leaving for the airport.

For US travelers, the Federal Aviation Administration has told US airlines to use caution over Saudi Arabia until December 10. Delta’s planned Atlanta to Riyadh launch on October 23 is still undecided.

The deadliest strike so far came on Saturday, when the attack on the same terminals killed 12 people and injured 309, according to GACA’s first count. Until GACA says the airport is open again, no Riyadh flight should be treated as confirmed.