Riyadh Air has decided to extend for an additional month the facilities to make changes and request refunds at no cost on its flight reservations, so that they will apply to tickets with departure up to and including January 31, 2027, provided that the purchase date is prior to or equal to November 1 of last year. At the same time, the company maintains its suspended operations with Madrid until next Saturday, November 7.
The Saudi airline has chosen to move its operations from King Khalid International Airport, in the country’s capital, to Al-Qassim International Airport. This move has involved the elimination of some routes, including the connection with the Spanish capital, as a result of the continued attacks by Houthi rebels.
For travelers with point-to-point Madrid-Riyadh tickets, Riyadh Air proposes a no-additional-cost rebooking on flights originating in or destined for London-Heathrow (LHR) and Al-Qassim, always conditioned on availability and confirmation of seats. However, the Madrid-London Heathrow leg will not be handled by the company and must be managed by the passenger himself.
As a land alternative, the airline continues to offer a free bus service for customers traveling between Riyadh and Al-Qassim, a road journey that exceeds four hours in duration.
With regard to reservation changes, among the main conditions are the obligation to keep the same cabin initially booked and to make all changes in a single transaction. In addition, the new flights must be operated exclusively by Riyadh Air, with no option for rebooking on third-party airlines.
In the refunds section, Riyadh Air’s policy covers both fully unused reservations and those partially flown, returning the corresponding amount for the air segments not taken. Eligible additional services that have not been used are also included, such as seat selection, baggage with excess weight or special dimensions, and other applicable surcharges. Likewise, change fees paid to modify affected flights will be refunded, with administrative charges excluded.
Riyadh Air began its commercial operations with flights to London last June 10, bringing forward its launch, which was initially set for July 1. Subsequently, it added new routes to Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Dubai (United Arab Emirates), and Cairo (Egypt).
In July, the airline landed in Spain with the opening of a seasonal route to Málaga, already completed, while the start of its operations in Madrid took place a few days later, on July 14.