Saudi Arabia: Riyadh Airport Hit Again Saturday, Inbound Flights Diverted and Airlines Extend Suspensions

October 10, 2026 — A loud blast was heard at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport (RUH) on Saturday, parts of the terminal were evacuated, and flights heading to the Saudi capital were diverted or cancelled, Reuters reported. It is the third day this week the airport has come under attack. No casualty figure and no reopening time had been published when we checked.

This updates our October 9 story.

What is new since Friday

• Saturday’s blast. Reuters reported more than a dozen ambulances heading to the airport and travelers moved out of parts of the facility. Flightradar24 data showed every flight bound for Riyadh diverting or cancelled. A diplomatic source told AFP a Houthi missile struck at about 3:00 pm local time. Saudi authorities had not commented, and Reuters reported no Houthi claim for Saturday’s blast.
• Airport status. Closure and reopening times: TBA. The airport’s Saturday notice tells passengers to “contact their airline directly to check whether their flight is operating,” Gulf News reported.
• Friday was only a partial recovery. Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority said on Friday that operations had resumed after Thursday’s strikes, but Al-Monitor, citing Flightradar24, counted 313 delayed and 144 cancelled flights at RUH by Friday evening.
• Thursday’s toll. Thursday’s two attacks killed three Saudi nationals, including a Saudia captain, and hit a Saudia aircraft. Reuters now puts deaths at Riyadh airport this week at four. Two regional officials told the Associated Press on Saturday that three aircraft were hit on Thursday; Saudia has identified one.
• No truce. Yemen’s Houthis have declared Saudi airspace a zone of military operations and told airlines to stay out. The Saudi-led coalition said on Friday it destroyed three launch platforms. Nothing reported in the past day points to a pause.

Airline suspensions announced or extended in the past 24 hours

Earlier suspensions still stand, including Lufthansa Group to Riyadh through October 16 and Air France to Riyadh and Dubai through October 24. Jeddah and Dammam: we found no report of an attack or closure in the past 24 hours.

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Government and airspace advice

• United States: unchanged. Saudi Arabia stays at Level 3 (Reconsider Travel), issued September 15, 2026, with the Yemen border region at Level 4. US Embassy alerts on October 7 and 8 said US government staff need special authorization to use King Khalid airport. We could not open the embassy site to check for a newer alert.
• United Kingdom: the Foreign Office updated its Saudi page on October 9, advises against all but essential travel to Riyadh province among others, and says further attacks on airports are highly likely.
• Canada: no change found. The overall level is “exercise a high degree of caution,” with avoid-all-travel advice within 80 km of the Yemen border.
• EASA: conflict-zone bulletin CZIB-2026-09-R1, revised October 9 and valid to November 16, 2026, tells operators not to fly at any level in two defined areas of Saudi airspace.

What it means for airline travelers

• Do not list for Riyadh. With the airport struck three days this week and schedules collapsing, standby odds are poor and the risk of being stranded is high.
• Already in Riyadh? Follow the airport’s and your carrier’s notices, shelter as local authorities direct, and do not go to the airport without a confirmed operating flight.
• Gulf connections are thinner. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are open with delays, but cancelled Riyadh rotations and wider reroutes mean fuller flights across the region. Build in an extra day.
• Jeddah and Dammam were not reported hit in the past day, but the Houthi threat covers Saudi airspace generally. Check your own airline’s embargo list before listing.
• Register and insure. Enroll in STEP (US) or Registration of Canadians Abroad. Check whether your travel insurance excludes acts of war before you rely on it.

Sources

• Reuters via ThePrint, “Loud blast at Riyadh airport as travellers evacuated and airlines cancel flights”
• Reuters via Cyprus Mail, “Loud blast heard at Riyadh airport as airlines cancel more flights”
• Times of Israel, live blog, October 10, 2026
• Gulf News, “Etihad extends Abu Dhabi-Riyadh flight cancellations as Saudi airport issues advisory”
• Gulf News, “UAE Flight Status Today”
• The Week, “Riyadh airport attacked again as Air India, Air India Express cancel more flights”
• Al-Monitor, “Riyadh’s skies remain unsettled after deadly Houthi strikes”
• Al Jazeera, “Houthi attack on Riyadh airport killed three Saudi nationals”
• Fox News, live blog, October 10 (AP report on aircraft hit)
• Qatar Airways, Travel Alerts
• EASA, Conflict Zone Information Bulletin CZIB-2026-09-R1
• US State Department, Saudi Arabia Travel Advisory
• UK Foreign Office, Saudi Arabia travel advice
• Government of Canada, Saudi Arabia travel advice