Riyadh Air resumes flights from Al Qassim after Riyadh attacks

Riyadh Air will resume flights from Al Qassim Airport (ELQ) on October 25, 2026. This follows the suspension of its operations from Riyadh King Khalid International Airport (RUH) due to repeated Houthi attacks. The airline suspended operations and moved its planes out of Riyadh after one of its Boeing 787 Dreamliners was damaged.

Passengers will be transferred to Riyadh by a complimentary bus included with the flight ticket. The bus arrives at Al Qassim Airport 30 minutes before the flight's baggage cutoff.

Passenger transfer process

Passengers will check in at the InterContinental Hotel Durrat Al Riyadh. From there, they will take a complimentary 4.5-hour bus ride to Al Qassim Airport, located 250 miles (400 kilometers) from Riyadh.

Check-in at the hotel is open between 15 minutes and two hours before bus departure. Travelers rerouted through Al Qassim should allow four to five hours for the bus transfer due to potential traffic.

Initial flight destinations

The airline startup plans to serve several key destinations from Al Qassim. Initial flight destinations include Cairo (CAI), Dhaka (DAC), Islamabad (ISB), Jeddah (JED), London Heathrow (LHR), and Lahore (LHE). Riyadh Air has also arranged special flights from London Heathrow, Madrid, and Bangkok to Al Qassim on Thursday, 22 October.

Riyadh Air offers affected passengers rebooking without change fees or the option to submit refund requests. Flight information published by travel website Wego on 21 October listed planned services for 22 October.

Riyadh Airport damage and operational status

Riyadh King Khalid International Airport has been bombed by the Houthis multiple times. These attacks resulted in at least 15 fatalities and over 300 injuries. A Saudia Airbus A320 was destroyed and several other planes were damaged, including a Riyadh Air Boeing 787.

Six aircraft were damaged with a combined insured value of $375 million. Airport operations remained suspended for some time after attacks began on 9 October. Limited cargo aircraft operations have since resumed.

King Khalid International Airport reopened on 18 October but remains subject to operational restrictions. Two NOTAMs took effect on 17 October. One requires permission from the General Authority of Civil Aviation for any landings or departures. The other prevents Riyadh from being used as a diversion airport.

Major international carriers including Lufthansa, KLM, and Air France have extended their flight suspensions. Service resumption for passenger flights at King Khalid International Airport is postponed, with some suspensions extending into next year. Riyadh Air and Saudia are both rerouting passengers to Riyadh through Al Qassim Airport, a 375km road journey taking over four hours.

Passengers arriving at Al Qassim will be transferred to Riyadh by complimentary bus included with the flight ticket.