When will Riyadh airport open? Shut till 17 Oct; IndiGo, Air India Saudi flights cancelled and what Indian flyers can do

Short answer: Riyadh's airport is closed until at least 2:30 AM IST on Sunday, 18 October. That's the end of the current closure notice, not a promised reopening date. Saudi Arabia's aviation authority hasn't said when flights will restart, and some airlines have cancelled beyond that date.

Indian airlines: who's flying, who isn't (13 Oct, 1:20 PM IST)

Sources: IndiGo's advisory (via Hindustan Times and Gulf News, 13 Oct), Air India's statement (The New Indian Express, 12 Oct), Gulf News (13 Oct). IndiGo's notice is the newest, and it goes further than the airport closure: it also covers Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah, which are open.

Airlines can extend these dates again, and each one has done so at least once since the weekend. Air India and IndiGo both said they would review the closure notice before deciding.

Foreign airlines (if you're connecting via the Gulf)

• Etihad: all Abu Dhabi–Riyadh flights cancelled until 19 Oct.
• Gulf Air: Riyadh cancelled until midnight on 17 Oct.
• Emirates, flydubai, Air Arabia: selected Riyadh flights cancelled on 12–13 Oct.
• Qatar Airways: Riyadh and Dammam temporarily suspended.
• Lufthansa: Riyadh until 16 Oct. Air France-KLM: Riyadh until end of October.

Sources: Aerospace Global News, Reuters via Rappler, The Indian Express.

Why the airport is closed

Yemen's Houthi rebels have hit King Khalid International at least four times since 8 October. Saturday's missile strike killed 13 people and injured more than 300, and another strike on Sunday killed one person and injured nearly a dozen, according to Reuters (via Gulf News). The Indian Embassy said an Indian national was among those killed, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar offered condolences (Hindustan Times).

Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority says the closure is to "allow for the completion of procedures to ensure the safety and operational readiness of the airport's facilities". Late on Monday, the Houthis claimed another ballistic missile attack on the airport, shortly after Saudi Arabia said it had intercepted one fired towards Riyadh (Hindustan Times).

In Kerala, Mathrubhumi reports that 18 Saudi flights were cancelled at Karipur (Kozhikode), and about 30 tonnes of fruit and vegetable exports were held up.

What to do if you're booked

1. Check your flight status before leaving for the airport. IndiGo says it's sending updates to the phone number and email on your booking. Make sure those are current.
2. Decide: refund or reschedule. Air India says it is offering full refunds on cancelled flights, and Air India Express is offering free rescheduling. If your airline cancels, ask for what suits you before you accept a new date.
3. Don't rebook for 18 October straight away. The airport isn't confirmed to reopen then. A flexible ticket, or one into Jeddah, which is still operating, is safer. IndiGo's Jeddah flights are also cancelled until 17 October.
4. Already in Saudi Arabia? The embassy asks Indians to stay alert, stay indoors if needed, follow local authorities, and not share videos of the attacks. The Embassy in Riyadh, the Consulate in Jeddah and VFS centres are working normally (Hindustan Times).

Indian Embassy helplines

Source: Embassy of India, Riyadh and its advisory, as reported by Hindustan Times. Updates are posted on X at @IndianEmbRiyadh.

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