​Riyadh King Khalid suspended after attack: hundreds of flights cancelled

On Saturday 10 October 2026, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) confirmed a missile attack on King Khalid International Airport (RUH) in Riyadh that killed 12 people and injured 309. Operations were temporarily suspended while authorities assessed damage and facility safety — a sharper ops break than the mid-week disruption already covered for 8 October. Fatalities included four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshis and one national each from the US, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan (GACA via Gulf Business / SPA).

What travellers saw

By 5:34 a.m. Saudi time on Sunday 11 October, Flightradar24 showed 271 RUH departures cancelled — about 73% of listed departures that day — with a disruption index of 5.0. FlightAware data cited by Arab News put cancellations at the airport at least at 291 over the preceding 24 hours. Kuwait Airways, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways cancelled Riyadh services tied to the closure; Air India, flydubai, Lufthansa Group and Pakistan International Airlines had already suspended Riyadh flying after earlier strikes. Hours after Saturday’s hit, coalition spokesman Major General Turki Al-Maliki said a projectile landed near King Fahd International (DMM) in Dammam. Authorities urged passengers to check with their airline before heading to the terminal.

If the schedule cannot slip

With RUH suspended and Gulf connections thinning, rebooking windows shrink fast. If a commercial slot will not hold, a private jet or empty leg via a nearby open field may keep the itinerary moving once clearances allow. Rahizi qualifies the brief and returns partner options.

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Facts: GACA / SPA via Gulf Business; Flightradar24; FlightAware via Arab News; ABC News Australia, 10–11 October 2026. Always verify with your carrier.