Startup Riyadh Air has temporarily moved flight operations from its home base to a smaller airport about four hours away.
The carrier said on its website that it will operate out of Prince Naif bin Abdulaziz International Airport, also known as Al Qassim Airport, in Buraidah “until further notice.”
King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh’s main international gateway and Riyadh Air’s only hub, has come under attack multiple times this month from Houthi rebels in Yemen. Missile strikes have killed a total of 18 people and injured over 300.
The facility partially reopened to passengers over the weekend as repairs take place.
Riyadh Air suspended operations after a Houthi attack on Oct. 10 killed 13 at King Khalid. It restarted flights on Sunday from Al Qassim with a reduced schedule, serving Cairo, Dhaka, Jeddah, London Heathrow, Lahore, and Islamabad.
The airline said departing passengers can either go directly to Al Qassim or board a complimentary coach in Riyadh that will bring them to the airport. It takes between three and a half and four and a half hours to reach Al Qassim from Riyadh.
Fighting on the Arabian Peninsula has been a major obstacle for Riyadh Air, which only began full commercial operations over the summer. The carrier was in the process of adding new connections, and working to build demand in foreign markets, including the U.S.
Its current, slimmed-down schedule temporarily cuts international routes such as Madrid, Manchester, Bangkok, and Dubai.
Riyadh Air is Saudi Arabia’s second flag carrier, after Jeddah-based Saudia.
