Indian airlines cancel Riyadh flights after Houthi missile attack

Air India and Air India Express have suspended Riyadh services until October 10, while IndiGo has cancelled several flights and diverted a Hyderabad service to Dammam

Indian airlines have cancelled and diverted flights to Riyadh following disruption at the Saudi capital’s King Khalid International Airport on Thursday, with Air India and Air India Express suspending services until October 10 and IndiGo cancelling several flights and diverting another to Dammam.

 

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement claimed on Thursday that it had launched a ballistic missile at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Several explosions were heard in the Saudi capital, while Saudi authorities said missiles targeting Riyadh had been intercepted.

 

Air India said it had cancelled flights to and from Riyadh until October 10 in view of the developing situation in the region. Affected passengers are being offered a full refund on cancellation, the airline said.

  

Meanwhile, Air India flight AI2243, operating from Delhi to Riyadh, returned to Delhi on Thursday in the interest of passenger and crew safety. The flight was subsequently cancelled, and passengers were offered full refunds, the airline said.

 

Air India Express has also cancelled flights to and from Riyadh until October 10. The airline said affected passengers would be offered complimentary rescheduling or a full refund on cancellation.

 

IndiGo has also curtailed its Riyadh operations. The airline diverted its Hyderabad-Riyadh flight to Dammam on Thursday, according to sources. It also cancelled its Delhi-Riyadh flight on Thursday and Friday, while its Hyderabad-Riyadh and Mumbai-Riyadh flights for Friday have also been cancelled, the sources said.

 

The disruption at Riyadh airport has affected a large number of flights. A total of 169 of 378 scheduled departures from Riyadh airport had been cancelled by mid-afternoon on Thursday, according to Cirium data.

 

India-Riyadh is one of the busiest international routes from India. According to Cirium data for October 2026, airlines operate 286 weekly non-stop passenger flights between India and Riyadh. IndiGo operates the highest number at 42 flights a week, followed by Air India Express at 32, Saudia at 30, Air India at 22, Flyadeal at 20, Riyadh Air at 14, Akasa Air at 12 and Flynas at 114.