Delta Delays Riyadh Launch to 2027 After Missile, Drone Strikes

Delta Air Lines is pushing the debut of its nonstop Atlanta-Riyadh service to March 2027 after missile and drone strikes targeted the Saudi capital’s airport last week and over the weekend. The flight had been set to launch Oct. 23 and would make Delta the first U.S. carrier flying nonstop to Riyadh.

“The safety and security of our customers and employees always come first and continue to guide our operational decisions,” the airline said in a statement following the attacks. “We remain in close contact with relevant government and aviation partners, including Saudia and Riyadh Air, as we monitor the situation.”

The route was struggling well before the strikes. Delta President Peter Carter acknowledged over the summer that ticket sales were running softer than the airline anticipated, which he attributed to the ongoing Middle East conflict. 

“We think this is going to be temporary,” Carter told Semafor. 

Aviation blogs tracking seat maps painted a starker picture: Enilria reported that only five seats had sold on a Nov. 4 departure, and One Mile at a Time found similarly thin sales through the end of October. Delta had already planned to drop from daily flights to three per week after the first seven days and discounted SkyMiles award rates on the route.

Delta says it remains committed to Saudi Arabia over the long term. 

“We look forward to connecting Saudi Arabia to Delta’s global network in March 2027,” the airline said.

Advisors with clients booked on the route can review rebooking options in the My Trips section of delta.com or in the Fly Delta app. Refunds are available for the unflown portion of affected trips.