Riyadh Air moves Dreamliners from Riyadh after attacks on Saudi airports

Riyadh Air has pulled its Boeing 787 fleet out of Riyadh following a week of missile attacks on Saudi airports. The move halts the young carrier's growth just four months after its first commercial flight.

The first revenue service, flight RX401, left Riyadh at 02:35 on 10 June and landed at London Heathrow at 07:30, according to the airline's published schedule. At launch the carrier had three owned Boeing 787-9s registered HZ-RXAA, HZ-RXAB and HZ-RXAC, plus one Dreamliner leased from Oman Air and registered HZ-RXX.

The fleet has since grown to eight 787s. It was used to add Jeddah, Dubai and Cairo in June, followed by Madrid, Malaga and Manchester in the summer. From late July the airline expanded towards Asia, adding Kuala Lumpur, Mumbai, Dhaka, Islamabad, Lahore, Bangkok and Manila. The stated plan is to serve more than 100 destinations worldwide by 2030.

That expansion has stopped for now. Missile strikes on Saudi airports over the past week killed 19 people and injured more than 340. Attacks occurred on five days: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Riyadh's airport was hit hardest. Several terminals were struck at the weekend and a Saudia aircraft burned out on the apron.

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh is to remain closed until at least 17 October. Riyadh Air has withdrawn its aircraft from the capital as a result. The 787s are currently parked in Al-Ula, where HZ-RXAA and HZ-RXAG are stationed, in Medina, where HZ-RXAC is held, in Lahore, where HZ-RXAE is held, and in Jeddah, which holds HZ-RXAB, HZ-RXAD and HZ-RXAF.