Riyadh Air suspends flagship London and Manchester flights following airport attacks

Riyadh Air has suspended flights to both its UK destinations, London Heathrow and Manchester, following a wave of attacks on its home airport.

King Khalid International Airport has been struck repeatedly in recent days. An attack on Saturday, 10 October, killed 13 people and injured hundreds, forcing operations to halt.

A NOTAM issued on 12 October lists the airport as closed until 21:00 UTC on Saturday, 17 October. However, that does not guarantee flights will resume immediately afterwards.

Heathrow and Manchester flights cancelled

Riyadh Air’s latest travel advisory confirms the cancellation of flights RX401 and RX402 between Riyadh and Heathrow on 12 and 13 October.

Its Manchester services, RX417 and RX418, are also cancelled on 13 October. The airline has not provided a confirmed restart date for either UK route.

The disruption comes less than a month after Riyadh Air announced Manchester as its second UK destination on 17 September. London was its inaugural international destination, with initial flights launched in October 2025 ahead of public ticket sales opening in May 2026.

Both routes form part of a network that has expanded rapidly this year, with recent additions including Bangkok and Manila. The airline announced ticket sales for Jakarta earlier this month.

The closure also affects Riyadh Air services across the Middle East and Asia. Its cancellation notice includes flights serving Jeddah, Dubai, Cairo, Islamabad, Mumbai and Dhaka, among other destinations.

Affected passengers are being offered free rebooking within the next 21 days or a full refund. The airline has advised those due to travel on cancelled services not to proceed to Riyadh airport until further notice.

UK widens Saudi Arabia travel warning

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has widened its travel warnings following the attacks, with implications for UK business travellers and companies operating in Saudi Arabia.

Advice updated on 11 October warns against all but essential travel to every Saudi airport except Medina International Airport. Riyadh province is also covered by an all-but-essential-travel warning, alongside several other areas, including the cities of Jeddah and Dammam.

British nationals have been told to stay away from King Khalid International Airport until it is secure and to follow instructions from the Saudi authorities. The FCDO warns that further attacks on airports are very likely.

For UK companies planning staff travel, the advice adds a consideration beyond whether flights are operating: travelling against FCDO recommendations could invalidate insurance.

British nationals seeking to leave Saudi Arabia are advised to consider overland routes to neighbouring countries as an alternative, where safe, checking entry requirements and border conditions before travelling. Passengers should keep departure plans under review and confirm their flight status before heading to an airport.