Riyadh airport attacks: SriLankan suspends Riyadh flights until 18 October

A Houthi attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday 10 October left at least 12 people dead and more than 300 wounded, Saudi authorities said, according to a Reuters report carried by Ada Derana. It was the third attack on the airport that week. Al Jazeera, also citing Saudi figures, put the latest count at 309 wounded.

The Saudi civil aviation authority said all flights were diverted from Riyadh on Saturday and operations at the airport were temporarily suspended. Reuters reported that Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways cancelled multiple flights between their hubs and Riyadh, with some cancellations extending into Monday.

Earlier in the week, TravelMole reported that Lufthansa had suspended Riyadh flights until 16 October and Air India had suspended services through 10 October. Citing Financial Times data, it said 169 of 378 scheduled departures from Riyadh were cancelled on Thursday 8 October.

SriLankan Airlines has suspended all flights to Riyadh until 18 October 2026, the Daily Mirror reported on 10 October, citing a passenger notice that referred to the security incident at Riyadh Airport and ongoing safety and operational assessments. Sri Lanka Mirror reported that an earlier statement issued on 9 October had set the suspension until 11 October, and that the airline had already cancelled flight UL265 from Colombo to Riyadh on 9 October and UL266 from Riyadh to Colombo on 10 October. The airline said services would resume once conditions are assessed as suitable for commercial flights.

The disruption is not limited to one airport. The Houthis have said airliners should avoid Saudi airspace, declaring it a zone of military operations after the Saudi-backed Yemeni government launched an offensive against the group, Reuters reported. Al Jazeera reported the group said any aircraft there, except over Mecca and Medina, is a target, and that a projectile reportedly fell near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. Earlier attacks also hit Abha airport, according to Al Jazeera.

Reuters also reported that the Houthis took the Red Sea chokepoint of Bab el-Mandeb from Saudi-backed government forces over the summer, after a 2022 ceasefire unravelled. The Yemeni government offensive this week is trying to retake that territory and has so far made slow gains. A Saudi-led coalition said it would respond to Saturday's attack, and US President Donald Trump, asked whether the US would join Saudi strikes, said: "We may. We're going to look at it."

For Sri Lankan traders shipping to or from Saudi Arabia, the reports show disruption on the direct SriLankan link to Riyadh and on connections through Gulf carriers such as Etihad and Qatar Airways at the same time. SriLankan's notice covers all flights to Riyadh; the reports opened for this article do not say whether separate cargo services or cargo held on cancelled flights were affected. Sea routes through the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb remain exposed to the same conflict.

This adds to existing pressure in the Gulf. Earlier this week, Forwarder.lk covered attacks on shipping near the Strait of Hormuz and Brent at about US$104 a barrel in this post, and carriers moving back to Suez routings in this post.

• Check with your airline or forwarder whether any air shipments booked to or from Riyadh between now and 18 October are on cancelled flights, and where that cargo is now held.
• Ask whether alternative routings through other Saudi airports or Gulf hubs are available, and whether those carriers have also suspended or cut services.
• Keep buyers and suppliers in Saudi Arabia informed of possible delays, especially for perishable or time-sensitive goods.
• Review cargo insurance cover for war and strike risks on Middle East air and sea shipments.
• Watch for updates from SriLankan Airlines on whether the 18 October date is extended again, as it already was once.