Riyadh Airport Closure Cancels 61 Flights, Disrupting Travel for 9,269 Passengers
Published : 11:24, 13 October 2026
The closure of Riyadh Airport in Saudi Arabia led to the cancellation of 61 flights from Saturday until early Tuesday, disrupting travel for 9,269 passengers.
According to sources involved in flight management at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, the cancellations included 22 direct flights and 39 transit flights.
Among the cancelled direct flights, nine belonged to Biman Bangladesh Airlines, two to US-Bangla Airlines, four to Saudia and seven to Riyadh Air.
The cancelled transit flights included 16 operated by IndiGo, nine by Emirates, five by Qatar Airways, five by flydubai, three by SalamAir and one by EgyptAir.
Passengers on these flights had been scheduled to travel to Riyadh via transit from various destinations. However, as the flights were cancelled in their respective countries, the aircraft did not carry passengers from Dhaka.
Airport closed following Houthi attacks
According to the report, Riyadh Airport was closed on Sunday following Houthi attacks. At least five attacks on the airport have reportedly occurred over the past week. Three Saudi nationals, including a pilot, were killed in an incident last Thursday.
The Houthis reportedly targeted airport infrastructure as well as an aircraft belonging to Saudia that day. The pilot is believed to have died in the attack.
Two months of escalating hostilities
For nearly two months, Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen and the Saudi-led military coalition have been engaged in attacks and retaliatory strikes. Riyadh Airport has emerged as one of the key targets amid the escalating conflict.
The Houthis had previously warned that airlines operating aircraft through Saudi airspace would face severe consequences. A day later, on Saturday, a major attack was reported at the airport in the Saudi capital.
The airport closure has disrupted international air travel, affecting passengers travelling from Bangladesh to Saudi Arabia as well as those planning to reach Riyadh through transit from other countries.
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