Key Takeaways
- Several international airlines have suspended flights to Riyadh.
- King Khalid International Airport remains closed until Monday midnight.
- Suspensions extend until October 16 for Lufthansa Group and October 18 for SriLankan Airlines.
Following attacks on King Khalid International Airport, several major airlines have suspended flights to Riyadh, with hundreds of flights canceled or delayed across Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation has extended the closure of the airport by another 24 hours, until midnight on Monday, due to security concerns.
According to a new Notice to Airmen (NOTAM), the airport will remain closed until midnight on Monday, necessitating inspections of the airport’s radar and communication systems.
A number of airlines, including Lufthansa Group, SriLankan Airlines, Akasa Air, Air India, Air India Express, Etihad Airways, flydubai, Emirates, Air Arabia, Kuwait Airways, Turkish Airlines, IndiGo, and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), have suspended flights to Riyadh.
On Sunday, PIA flight PK-753 from Islamabad to Riyadh was diverted to Dammam, while 28 flights from airports across Pakistan were canceled.
Another 32 Riyadh-bound flights from various Pakistani airports have been canceled on Monday, as uncertainty over Saudi flight operations continues.
The closure has also disrupted operations at Jeddah, Madinah, and Dammam airports, with flight operations at Dammam resuming after a six-hour suspension.
The disruption has affected both domestic and international travel, with major airlines extending their suspensions until October 16 for Lufthansa Group and October 18 for SriLankan Airlines.
