Saudi Arabia has extended the closure of Riyadh’s international airport until Saturday following repeated attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group, disrupting flights and forcing airlines to suspend services.
Operations at King Khalid International Airport, the kingdom’s second-busiest airport after Jeddah, were suspended to allow authorities to complete procedures to ensure the safety and operational readiness of its facilities, the Saudi civil aviation authority said.
A Notice to Airmen issued on Monday stated that the airport would remain closed until 9pm GMT on October 17.
The Houthis claimed late on Monday that they had attacked the airport with a ballistic missile, shortly after Saudi Arabia announced that it had intercepted and destroyed a missile fired towards Riyadh.
The group also claimed to have targeted an airbase in Khamis Mushait, in southwestern Saudi Arabia, with a drone. Saudi authorities had not immediately confirmed the reported attack.
The airport has been closed since an attack on Saturday killed 13 people and injured more than 300, marking the deadliest incident of its kind in the kingdom in more than a decade. Another attack on Sunday killed one person and injured nearly a dozen others.
The strikes have caused one of the most significant disruptions to Saudi Arabia’s aviation industry in years, adding pressure to an industry already grappling with conflict across the Middle East and rising jet fuel prices.
Mark Zee, founder of aviation safety advisory organisation OPSGROUP, said the sustained attacks on civil aviation were unprecedented.
He warned that the situation required the aviation industry to reassess its risk assessments and exercise extreme caution.
Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 showed aircraft avoiding Riyadh on Monday, although planes continued crossing Saudi airspace and landing at the kingdom’s major western hub in Jeddah.
Aviation analytics firm Cirium reported that flight cancellations across all Saudi airports had reached 46.4%.
Airlines suspend services as regional disruption widens
The disruption has forced airlines across Europe and Asia to suspend or cancel services to Saudi Arabia.
The US Federal Aviation Administration advised American carriers to exercise caution when flying to or over Saudi Arabia, while the European Union Aviation Safety Agency expanded its warning over Saudi airspace, citing growing risks from missile and drone attacks.
OPSGROUP advised airlines to avoid the southern aviation corridor over the Middle East and consider rerouting flights between Europe and Asia through Central Asia. Such diversions could significantly increase journey distances and limit access to destinations including Dubai and Abu Dhabi for some Western carriers.
Lufthansa Group cancelled all flights to Riyadh until October 16, while Air France-KLM extended its suspension of services to and from the Saudi capital until the end of October.
Etihad Airways cancelled flights between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam due to regional disruption. Services between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh were suspended until October 19.
Qatar Airways also temporarily suspended flights to and from Riyadh and Dammam.
Meanwhile, Delta Air Lines postponed the planned launch of its Atlanta-Riyadh service, originally scheduled for October 23, until March 2027.
Attacks raise concerns over Saudi economic outlook
The escalating attacks have raised concerns about the wider economic impact on Saudi Arabia and the region.
Saudi Arabia’s real gross domestic product is projected to contract by 3.6% this year, reflecting several factors, including lower oil activity.
The attacks have also put major events scheduled in Riyadh this month under pressure, including the kingdom’s flagship investment conference and the WPC Energy Congress.
Several senior oil executives were reportedly removed from the event programme following the attacks, adding to uncertainty surrounding the kingdom’s business and investment outlook.
