By GIANLUCA LO NOSTRO, MENNA ALAAELDIN, JOANNA PLUCINSKA, Reuters
Released October 13, 2026 7:08 am
Upgraded October 13, 2026 9:50 am
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Authorities have actually extended the closure of Riyadh’s worldwide airport till Saturday and airline companies ditched flights after continuing attacks by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis cleared the skies over Saudi Arabia’s capital.
Operations at King Khalid International Airport, Saudi Arabia’s second-busiest airport after Jeddah, were suspended to “allow for the completion of procedures to ensure the safety and operational readiness of the airport’s facilities”the Saudi civil air travel authority stated in a declaration.
Late on Monday, the Houthis stated they had actually assaulted the airport with a ballistic rocket, soon after Saudi Arabia stated it had actually obstructed and ruined a ballistic rocket fired by the group towards Riyadh.
The Houthis likewise stated in a declaration that they targeted an airbase in Khamis Mushait in the kingdom’s southwest with a drone. There was no instant Saudi verification.
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A Notice to Airmen provided on Monday revealed that the King Khalid International Airport will remain closed up until 2100 GMT on October 17.
The airport has actually been shut considering that an attack on Saturday that eliminated 13 individuals and injured more than 300, the most dangerous in the kingdom in more than a years. On Sunday, another attack eliminated a single person and hurt almost a lots others.
The attacks marked among the most considerable disturbances to Saudi air travel in years, contributing to pressures on a market currently coming to grips with dispute throughout the Middle East and with greater jet fuel costs that are consuming into earnings.
They have actually likewise raised concerns over civil air travel ending up being a target in armed dispute.
“This level of sustained intense attack on civil aviation is unprecedented,” stated Mark Zee, creator of OPSGROUP, a membership-based company that supplies air travel security recommendations.
“I think this requires us to rethink how we view the current risk picture, and tread very carefully,” he stated.
Air traffic tracker Flightradar24 revealed aircrafts preventing the city on Monday, though jets were crossing Saudi airspace and landing at leading center Jeddah on the nation’s west coast.
Cancellations throughout all Saudi airports reached 46.4%, air travel analytics firm Cirium stated.
Crisis eclipses Saudi company outlook
The interruption has actually required airline companies throughout Europe and Asia to suspend services, while the Federal Aviation Administration recommended United States providers on Sunday to work out care when flying to or over Saudi Arabia. EU air travel body EASA expanded a Saudi airspace caution on Friday, mentioning rocket and drone attacks.
“The impact goes beyond Saudi Arabia to the wider region and to its global connections,” stated air travel expert John Strickland.
OPSGROUP recommended airline companies to prevent the southern air travel passage over the Middle East completely, and take a path from Europe to Asia over main Asia.
That includes “extensive distance” for some paths and “closes off options for getting into Dubai, Abu Dhabi for most western carriers,” Zee stated.
Lufthansa Group has actually canceled all flights to Riyadh up until October 16, while Air France-KLM has actually extended a suspension to and from Riyadh up until completion of the month.
Etihad Airways stated it had actually canceled flights in between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam due to “regional disruption”including that all flights in between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh would be cancelled up until October 19.
Qatar Airways stated on Monday it had actually briefly suspended flights to and from Riyadh and Dammam due to the “current situation”
Delta Air Lines stated it was postponing organized services from Atlanta to Riyadh, at first due to begin on October 23, till March 2027.
The escalation with the Houthis has actually raised issues over the more comprehensive financial effect. Saudi Arabia’s genuine GDP is forecasted to agreement by 3.6% this year, showing a mix of elements consisting of lower oil activity.
The attacks have actually put occasions arranged in Riyadh this month under pressure, consisting of the kingdom’s flagship financial investment conference and the WPC Energy Congress, where a number of leading oil executives were dropped from the program. — Reuters
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