Riyadh Airport Reopens to International Flights After Two-Week Closure, as Houthis Warn It Remains a Target

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh reopened to international flights on Sunday, October 25, 2026, two weeks after a Houthi attack forced the airport to shut. The airport said Terminal 1 would handle domestic flights and Terminal 2 would handle international flights operated by national carriers, in a post on X on Saturday reported by Reuters. Flight tracking data from FlightRadar cited by AFP showed a plane taking off from Riyadh early on Sunday bound for Jeddah, an early sign that the reopening was under way.

Flights leave, but most foreign carriers stay away

Dozens of flights departed the airport early on Sunday for destinations including London, Dubai and Beijing, according to airport departure information reported by The Hindu BusinessLine. Saudi carriers Saudia and Flynas operated flights, and Air India and Emirates also appeared on the schedule. Most international airlines kept their suspensions in place, so traffic stayed well below normal levels. The airport is working out of two of its five terminals. Terminal 3, which was damaged in the strikes this month, remains out of operation. The Sunday reopening followed a limited return last week, when the airport resumed some domestic flights, the Associated Press reported.

Fresh interceptions on the morning of the reopening

The return to service came under fire the same morning. Saudi military spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki said Saudi forces intercepted and destroyed a Houthi ballistic missile and a drone early on Sunday, the Associated Press reported. AFP reported that the Saudi led coalition said it had shot down two drones in the Riyadh area early on Sunday.

The Houthis warned travellers away from the airport they had just reopened. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the airport remained a military target and that operations against it would continue, warning all airlines, airport staff and travellers against using it, Reuters reported. Saree said the airport was unsafe, according to AFP, and said Saudi Arabia would bear the consequences of any operations at the airport.

Two weeks shut after the October 10 attack

Operations at the airport were halted on October 10, 2026, after an attack claimed by the Houthis killed 13 people and wounded more than 300 others, Reuters reported. Reuters described it as the deadliest attack in the kingdom in more than a decade. The suspension of operations was extended two days later, and the airport stayed shut while the EU and Gulf leaders summit due in Riyadh on October 24 was postponed, with the Gulf Cooperation Council citing the longer suspension of operations at the airport, as Orbit Post reported at the time from Reuters reporting.

The Houthis have fired ballistic missiles and drones at Saudi airports, ports and oil installations in recent weeks, Reuters reported, after a years long truce broke down in the summer, according to AFP. Saudi Arabia has stepped up its military involvement in Yemen, launching strikes against the Houthis and backing a government counteroffensive after the Houthis seized territory along the Red Sea coast last month, Reuters reported. For travellers, Sunday brought a working airport again, but the warnings from the Houthis and the interceptions the same morning showed how fragile the reopening is.