Airlines shun reopened Riyadh airport after last week’s attacks

Saudi authorities require airlines to get prior permission for every flight, according to a NOTAM issued over the weekend. Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport officially reopened on Sunday, but most scheduled flights have been canceled so far this week. Saudi authorities require airlines to get prior permission for every flight, according to a NOTAM issued over the weekend, while US and European regulators are warning carriers about the kingdom’s airspace. Lufthansa has suspended flights until Nov. 18, Cathay Pacific until the end of January, and Delta has pushed back the launch of its Atlanta route to March 2027. Attacks on Riyadh’s airport damaged six aircraft with a combined insured value of about $375 million, The Wall Street Journal reported, prompting Saudi carriers to evacuate aircraft worth up to $4 billion from the city. Many travelers are now driving to Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE to catch commercial flights, while the wealthy are paying a premium of more than 50% compared to prewar rates to fly private out of al-Qassim airport, an almost four hour drive north of Riyadh, according to the Financial Times.