Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Oct 8: Indian airlines have cancelled and diverted several flights to and from Riyadh following disruption at King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital on Thursday amid a reported Houthi missile attack.
Air India and Air India Express have suspended their Riyadh services until October 10, while IndiGo has cancelled several flights and diverted another to Dammam.
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement claimed on Thursday that it had launched a ballistic missile targeting King Khalid International Airport. Several explosions were heard in Riyadh, while Saudi authorities said missiles aimed at the capital 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. Passengers affected by the cancellations will be offered a full refund, the airline said.
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.
Air India Express has also cancelled flights to and from Riyadh until October 10. The airline said affected passengers could either reschedule their travel free of charge or opt for a full refund.
IndiGo has also curtailed its Riyadh operations. Its Hyderabad-Riyadh flight was diverted to Dammam on Thursday, while its Delhi-Riyadh service was cancelled for Thursday and Friday. Hyderabad-Riyadh and Mumbai-Riyadh flights scheduled for Friday have also been cancelled, according to sources.
The disruption has affected a large number of flights at Riyadh airport. According to Cirium data, 169 of the 378 scheduled departures from the airport had been cancelled by Thursday afternoon.
The India-Riyadh sector is among the busiest international routes between India and Saudi Arabia. Cirium data for October 2026 shows that airlines operate 286 weekly non-stop passenger flights between India and Riyadh.
IndiGo operates 42 flights a week on the route, followed by Air India Express with 32, Saudia with 30, Air India with 22, Flyadeal with 20, Riyadh Air with 14, Akasa Air with 12 and Flynas with 114 weekly flights.