Three Riyadh Air Boeing 787 Dreamliners Escape Missile-Hit Saudi Airport In 25-Minute Dash

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Three of Riyadh Air’s new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners were moved out of Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport (RUH) within 25 minutes of each other on Tuesday, October 13, as the airline moved aircraft away from its main base following a week of missile and drone attacks. The widebody jets were safely flown to AlUla and Medina in western Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, a fourth Riyadh Air Dreamliner was repositioned from Jeddah Airport (JED) to Lahore in Pakistan. Some sources have also reported that the aircraft departed Riyadh Airport under fighter jet escort amid the ongoing threat of Houthi attacks and a NOTAM closing the airport until October 17.

Three Dreamliners Make Riyadh Exit Within 25 Minutes

As first flagged by X account Turbine Traveller, the three aircraft took off within 25 minutes of one another on Tuesday afternoon, operating under the flight numbers RX8001, RX8002 and RX8004. HZ-RXAA and HZ-RXAG flew to AlUla International Airport (ULH), while HZ-RXAC (RX8001) went to Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport (MED) in Medina.

Flight tracking data shows the aircraft departed at 3:16 PM, 3:32 PM and 3:39 PM local time, representing a total window of just 23 minutes between the first and last departures. There are unconfirmed reports that fighter jets escorted the three Dreamliners out of Riyadh’s airspace, although neither the Royal Saudi Air Force nor Riyadh Air has confirmed this. Simple Flying has reached out to the airline for additional information and will update this story accordingly.

Additionally, a fourth Dreamliner (HZ-RXAE) flew from Jeddah to Lahore Allama Iqbal International Airport (LHE), one of Riyadh Air’s two destinations in Pakistan. Riyadh Air operates a total of eight 787 Dreamliners, with its remaining four airframes all on the ground in Jeddah. HZ-RXAB has been parked since October 10, and HZ-RXAD and HZ-RXAF diverted there that day after Riyadh Airport closed, while training airframe HZ-RXX has been in Jeddah since October 8.

Riyadh Airport To Remain Closed Until Saturday

Riyadh Airport has been targeted repeatedly by Houthi strikes, coming under multiple missile and drone attacks within the past week. The first death at the airport came on October 7, while further attacks on October 8 killed three Saudi citizens, including Saudia Captain Hamoud Ali Alkalthami, and seriously damaged a parked Saudia Airbus A320.

The worst attack occurred on Saturday when one of the airport's passenger terminals was directly hit, leading to 13 deaths and hundreds of injuries. The airport was hit again on Sunday, with further missile attacks being intercepted since then.

Delta Air Lines has reacted by canceling its planned Atlanta-Riyadh service until March 2027 at the earliest, while several airlines, including Lufthansa Group carriers and Air France-KLM, have suspended flights to Riyadh. The Federal Aviation Administration has also issued a NOTAM valid until December 10, advising US carriers to exercise caution when flying to or over Saudi Arabia.

Riyadh Air's Growing Network Is In Limbo

With its home base coming under sustained attacks, Riyadh Air has been forced to suspend flights across its entire network. Its website lists canceled services up until October 17, affecting all 15 of its destinations. Additionally, passengers booked to travel up to October 24 can change flights free of charge to another Riyadh Air flight within 21 days of the original date.

According to data from aviation analytics company Cirium, more than 3,100 Saudi departures were canceled or not flown between October 8 and 14. Over this period, Riyadh Air canceled over 70% of its schedule, highlighting the scale of the disruption. How long the airline’s operations will remain suspended depends on when the security situation allows flights to resume.

This comes just four months after Riyadh Air operated its first scheduled service, with its inaugural flight taking off from Riyadh to London Heathrow on June 10. The carrier currently flies with an all-787 fleet, but expects to take delivery of its first Airbus A321neo next month, and will also be an operator of the Airbus A350-1000.