Riyadh airport assigns separate terminals as flights resume

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh reopened Terminals 1 and 2 on Sunday, October 25, assigning domestic services to the first and international flights operated by Saudi national carriers to the second after a suspension linked to Houthi attacks.

The airport announced the arrangements on Saturday in a passenger advisory circulated through its social media channels. It urged travellers holding confirmed reservations to contact their airlines before leaving for the airport to establish whether their bookings remained valid and their flights were operating.

The instructions distinguish between domestic services and international operations by national airlines. They do not establish that every international carrier has resumed flying to Riyadh, nor do they specify terminal arrangements for foreign airlines. Passengers travelling on those services therefore need confirmation directly from their operators.

The reopening follows an interruption to airport operations after an October 10 attack attributed to Yemen’s Houthi movement. The strike caused deaths and hundreds of injuries, while the resulting security concerns disrupted passenger movements through the Saudi capital’s principal airport.

The decision to restore operations comes amid continuing threats to aviation facilities. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree renewed warnings against using the Riyadh airport on Sunday, describing it as a military target and threatening further attacks. The warning followed the announcement of the terminal reopening and underscored the uncertainty facing airlines restoring their schedules.

Saudi-led coalition forces also announced the interception and destruction of a drone over the Riyadh region on Sunday. Coalition spokesman Major-General Turki Al Maliki confirmed the interception as authorities dealt with further aerial threats. The announcement did not establish that the intercepted drone had been directed specifically at the airport.

For passengers, the distinction between reopening terminal facilities and confirming an individual flight is significant. An airport’s announcement that a terminal is available does not itself guarantee that a particular airline has restored its service or that an existing reservation can be used without amendment.

The airport’s advisory expressly placed responsibility for checking bookings and departure information on passengers and their airlines. Travellers were asked to verify both the status of their reservations and the operation of their flights before travelling to the airport, rather than relying solely on the published terminal allocation.

The arrangements apply from Sunday and identify Terminal 1 as the domestic departure and arrival facility, with Terminal 2 handling international operations by national carriers. The airport has not provided a comprehensive timetable in the advisory or announced that the entire international network has returned to its previous schedule.

The resumption is taking place against a backdrop of disruptions across Saudi aviation. Houthi attacks and warnings have affected airports and other infrastructure, prompting airlines to reassess operations and issue their own instructions to customers. Such decisions are made separately from the airport operator’s allocation of terminal space.

Air India and Air India Express have suspended services to Riyadh and Dammam until November 7, with services to Jeddah suspended until October 31, according to their announced travel arrangements. Affected customers have been offered options for rebooking or refunds, illustrating why passengers cannot treat the reopening of a terminal as confirmation of their flights.

The Houthi movement has claimed attacks against aviation, energy and other installations in Saudi Arabia. Saree has named King Khalid International Airport among the facilities targeted, alongside sites elsewhere in the kingdom. These claims remain statements by the armed group and do not independently establish the outcome of every operation it has described.

The October 10 strike brought a prolonged suspension of normal operations at Riyadh’s main airport. Limited domestic services had restarted before Sunday’s broader reopening, but international services continued to face restrictions and airline-specific decisions. The terminal announcement is therefore an operational step rather than a declaration that all disruption has ended.

The airport’s notice, also shared on its official social media accounts on October 24, asked customers to comply with instructions issued by their airlines. Its wording specifically limits the Terminal 2 designation to international flights operated by national carriers, an important qualification for travellers comparing airport notices with airline booking information.

Passengers using the airport have been directed to obtain flight-specific updates from their carriers before setting out, including confirmation of their reservation and the latest scheduled departure details. The airport thanked travellers for their cooperation and urged them to follow any further operational instructions.