Throughout October, the Saudi capital of Riyadh has been repeatedly targeted by attacks from the Houthi islamist paramilitary group.
The largest attack on Riyadh King Khalid International Airport on Oct. 10 killed 12 people while, more recently, Saudi air defenses shot down two ballistic missiles that the Iran-backed militia fired toward the capital from Yemen on Oct. 29.
The renewed wave of hostilities comes amid a greater wave of instability across the entire Middle Eastern region set off by the U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran in February 2026; as the Houthis seized more land along the coastline of Yemen by September, Saudi-backed forces intensified military operations.
Air France once again extends suspension of flights to Riyadh and Dubai
While King Khalid International resumed limited service following a two-week shutdown on Oct. 25, the situation on the ground in Saudi Arabia remains too dangerous for most international airlines.
Most governments have also raised the travel advisory levels and issued warnings to citizens against traveling to the country at the current moment.
Delta Air Lines pushed back the launch of its long-awaited flight to Riyadh and Atlanta from this October to March 2027 while Dutch flag carrier KLM recently also confirmed that it will not restart its routes to Riyadh and Dammam from Amsterdam until Nov. 27, 2026.
Related: Airport shut down, international airlines cancel flights after Houthi attack
French flag carrier Air France has become the latest airline to extend the suspension of its flight to Riyadh to Paris until Dec. 12. The flight from Paris to Dubai, which Air France has also not run since February 2026, will also remain suspended until Nov. 12.
Just like its main international competitors, Air France has had to push back previously-set schedule restart dates for Dubai and Riyadh at least a dozen times since the start of 2026 amid lack of a ceasefire and repeated fresh waves of hostilities. The initial plan was to restart the route to Riyadh on Nov. 7 and the flight to Dubai on Oct. 31.
Repeated Houthi attacks on the Saudi capital of Riyadh has led to weeks of disrupted air service.Shutterstock
“A security situation on the ground that is highly fluid”: Air France
“The resumption of operations will remain subject to an assessment of the security situation on the ground, which is highly fluid,” Air France says in a statement on its flight restart timeline that has been in place for months. “The airline continuously monitors the geopolitical situation in the territories served and overflown by its aircraft in order to ensure the highest level of flight safety and security.”
More Travel News:
Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in The Bahamas
Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026
Low-cost airline launches easier way to get to Sri Lanka
Those who have kept their original Air France booking to Riyadh or Dubai can continue to push it back or request a refund to the original method of payment. The two destinations are covered by an extended travel waiver due to the regional instability and difficulty around planning future service.
With service from international carriers remaining severely restricted, United Arab Emirates carriers Emirates and Eithad Airways are now the primary way travelers can get to Dubai while Saudia currently has limited service into the country from other Middle Eastern destinations.
Related: Delta Air Lines will exit an entire market until March 2027