Riyadh Air has shifted selected passenger operations from King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh to Al Qassim International Airport, near Buraydah, following disruption at the capital’s airport. From 25 October, services to Cairo, Dhaka, Jeddah, London Heathrow, Lahore and Islamabad will operate via Al Qassim. Passengers starting in Riyadh can check in at the InterContinental Durrat Al Riyadh and use a complimentary coach to the alternative airport, about 375–400 kilometres away.
The coach journey is scheduled to take approximately four and a half hours. Travellers may also drive directly to Al Qassim, with the airline advising them to allow about four hours by road. Passengers arriving from the six destinations will be transferred back to Riyadh by coach.
The temporary arrangement allows Riyadh Air to restart part of its network while passenger operations at King Khalid remain restricted after attacks earlier in October. Although the airport announced a limited reopening, Riyadh Air’s selected services continue to use Al Qassim until further notice.
Online check-in and connecting itineraries may be unavailable for the affected flights. Depending on their booking, passengers may be offered rebooking or refunds, while some services and airport-related benefits may be restricted. The airline has not specified when these routes will return to King Khalid, and the move does not indicate a permanent change to Riyadh Air’s planned capital-city base.