{
  "id": 15746046,
  "title": "Airlines shun reopened Riyadh airport after last week’s attacks",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/airlines-shun-reopened-riyadh-airport-after-last-weeks-attacks",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-20T12:14:30.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Semafor",
    "slug": "semafor",
    "url": "https://www.semafor.com/article/10/20/2026/airlines-shun-reopened-riyadh-airport-after-last-weeks-attacks"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh reopened on Sunday, but scheduled flights have largely been canceled this week. Saudi authorities mandate airlines to seek prior authorization for each flight, according to a NOTAM issued over the weekend, and US and European regulators are alerting carriers about the kingdom’s airspace. Lufthansa has halted flights until November 18, Cathay Pacific until the end of January, and Delta has delayed the commencement of its Atlanta route to March 2027. The attacks on Riyadh’s airport damaged six aircraft with an insured value of approximately $375 million, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. This incident has led Saudi carriers to evacuate up to $4 billion worth of aircraft from the city. Many travelers are now opting to drive to Bahrain, Qatar, and the UAE to catch commercial flights, while the wealthy pay a premium of over 50% compared to prewar rates to fly private out of al-Qassim airport, which is nearly a four-hour drive north of Riyadh, according to the Financial Times.",
  "summary": "Saudi authorities require airlines to get prior permission for every flight, according to a NOTAM issued over the weekend.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}