Saudi Arabia Update: Riyadh Airport Closed Until Saturday Night as Missiles Target Capital Again

October 13, 2026 — Saudi Arabia has extended the closure of Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport until 2100 UTC on Saturday, October 17 (midnight local time), and more missiles were fired at the capital on Monday. The US State Department reissued its Level 3 advisory on October 12, and the US Mission issued a new security alert the same day.

What’s new since yesterday

Riyadh closed through Saturday: A notice to air missions (NOTAM) issued Monday, October 12, keeps King Khalid International closed until 2100 UTC on October 17. Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority (GACA) said the suspension lets it finish safety and readiness checks on the airport’s facilities. Air Data News notes the closure could be extended again.
New attacks: The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles aimed at Riyadh on Monday. The Houthis said late Monday that they had targeted the airport again, according to The National.
Cancellations: Cirium data cited by Air Data News showed 486 of 1,048 scheduled departures from Saudi airports on Monday (about 46%) cancelled or not operated as of 4 p.m. local time.
Daily life in Riyadh: Riyadh schools moved to remote learning for one week, and the Misk Global Forum was cancelled, The National reports.

Government advice

US advisory: The State Department reissued the Saudi Arabia advisory on October 12. It stays at Level 3, “Reconsider Travel” (unchanged), citing drone and missile attacks by Iran and the Houthis, terrorism, exit bans and social-media laws. The Yemen border area remains Level 4, “Do Not Travel.”
US security alert (October 12): US government employees now need special authorization to use any airport in Saudi Arabia. Americans should expect cancellations and airspace closures, check flight status with the airline and airport, and consider Saudi Arabia Railways, SAT Transportation or SAPTCO buses instead. The alert also warns that filming or sharing information about missile and drone interceptions or impact sites can bring legal trouble, and notes Americans have been detained for photographing recent events.
Canada: No change since yesterday. Travel.gc.ca (last updated October 11) still advises avoiding non-essential travel to Saudi Arabia and avoiding all travel to King Khalid International Airport.

Airline schedules

Air Data News lists these newly reported suspensions: Air France-KLM (Riyadh cancelled through the end of October), Philippine Airlines (suspension extended to November 29), IndiGo (Riyadh and Dammam through October 15) and Air India Express (Riyadh through October 15). Delta has postponed its Atlanta–Riyadh launch until March 2027. Lufthansa Group (through October 16) and flydubai (through October 14) are unchanged.

What it means for airline travelers

Riyadh will not reopen before Saturday night at the earliest. Do not plan standby travel into or out of Riyadh this week; seats on Jeddah and Dammam flights will be taken by displaced passengers.
If you are already in Saudi Arabia, the US Mission suggests rail or bus rather than relying on a flight. One traveler quoted by The National drove from Riyadh to Dammam and flew out via Jeddah.
Do not photograph or post about missile interceptions or damage sites.
Register with STEP (US) or Registration of Canadians Abroad so you receive alerts.
Canadians: an “avoid non-essential travel” advisory can affect travel insurance coverage, so check your policy.