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Lufthansa, Indian airlines suspend flights to Riyadh after Houthi attacks - Finance news and analysis from Global Banking & Finance Review
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Lufthansa, Indian airlines suspend flights to Riyadh after Houthi attacks

Published by Global Banking & Finance Review

Posted on October 8, 2026

2 min read

· Last updated: October 8, 2026

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Lufthansa and Indian Airlines Suspend Riyadh Flights Following Houthi Attacks

Airline Suspensions and Impact on Riyadh Flights

By Gianluca Lo Nostro and Vallari Srivastava

Flight Suspensions Announced

Oct 8 (Reuters) - Lufthansa Group and three Indian airlines will suspend flights to Riyadh, they said on Thursday, as Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis renewed threats against airlines after claiming an attack on the Saudi capital's airport.

Lufthansa's Response

A Lufthansa spokesperson told Reuters the German group's airlines would suspend flights to Riyadh through October 16 due to "current developments in the Middle East".

Indian Airlines' Actions

IndiGo

India's largest airline IndiGo said it had cancelled all flights to and from Riyadh until October 9.

Air India and Akasa Air

Air India and Akasa Air also told Reuters they had cancelled all flights to and from the Saudi capital until October 10.

Air India added that a flight from Delhi to Riyadh returned to the Indian capital on Thursday, while Akasa Air cancelled two scheduled services.

Details of the Houthi Attack and Aftermath

Incident at Riyadh Airport

Smoke was seen rising from a stationary aircraft at Riyadh airport earlier on Thursday, according to a witness and three people briefed on the matter.

Houthi Claims and Saudi Response

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis said they had struck King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with a ballistic missile, although there was no immediate confirmation from Saudi authorities.

Saudi authorities said on Wednesday that three people had been killed this week in strikes on Riyadh airport and Abha airport in the southwest.

Flight Cancellations and Data

International Flight Disruptions

Several dozen international flights bound for Riyadh on Thursday evening have been cancelled, data from global flight tracker FlightRadar24 showed.

Statistics on Cancellations

Data compiled by aviation analytics firm ‌Cirium showed 49.7% of departures from Riyadh airport had been cancelled by 1500 GMT, with a further 31 cancellations expected across Saudi airports on Friday.

(Reporting by Joanna Plucinska, Gianluca Lo Nostro and Vallari Srivastava; additional reporting by Puyaan Singh. Editing by Jan Harvey and Mark Potter)

References

Frequently Asked Questions

Why have Lufthansa and Indian airlines suspended flights to Riyadh?
Lufthansa and three Indian airlines have suspended flights to Riyadh due to renewed threats and an attack claimed by Houthi militants on the Saudi capital's airport.
Which Indian airlines have cancelled flights to and from Riyadh?
IndiGo, Air India, and Akasa Air have all cancelled flights to and from Riyadh following Houthi threats and attacks.
How long will Lufthansa suspend flights to Riyadh?
Lufthansa will suspend flights to Riyadh through October 16 due to the current security situation.
Were there any confirmed casualties following the attacks?
Saudi authorities reported that three people were killed this week in strikes on Riyadh and Abha airports.
How widespread are the flight cancellations from Riyadh airport?
By 1500 GMT, nearly half of all departures from Riyadh airport had been cancelled, with additional cancellations expected across Saudi airports.

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