Lufthansa, Air India, IndiGo, and Akasa Air suspended flights to and from Riyadh on October 8, 2026, following explosions in Saudi Arabia’s capital. Lufthansa Group halted all Riyadh services through October 16, while Air India and Akasa Air suspended flights until October 10, and IndiGo canceled flights through October 9.
Flight monitor FlightAware reported more than 275 cancellations at King Khalid International Airport on October 8, representing 40% of scheduled arrivals and 30% of scheduled departures. Nearly 50% of Riyadh’s flight departures were affected by these suspensions.
Explosions, including a large blast at Riyadh’s international airport, triggered the cancellations. Iran-backed
Houthi rebels from Yemen claimed responsibility for the attacks, stating they used ballistic and cruise missiles targeting Riyadh and Najran airports. Saudi authorities had not immediately responded to the claim.
According to flight-tracking service Flightradar24, Riyadh airport closed in the afternoon on October 8. The last landing occurred more than 80 minutes before closure, and the final takeoff happened over 90 minutes before the airport shut down.
Lufthansa Group cited “current developments in the Middle East” as the reason for suspending all Riyadh flights through October 16. Air India returned a Delhi-Riyadh flight to Delhi on October 8 and canceled
all Riyadh operations until October 10, stating: “We are closely monitoring the situation.” The Indian Embassy in Riyadh confirmed multiple Indian airlines had halted service to Riyadh.
The suspension disrupted passengers across Lufthansa, Air India, IndiGo, and Akasa Air routes. An Air India flight departing Delhi was turned back and canceled on October 8, further illustrating the travel impact caused by the suspensions and airport closure.
