Riyadh airport operations suspended till Oct 17 amid Houthi attacks, air travel hit

Riyadh, Oct 13: Saudi authorities have extended the suspension of flight operations at the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh until Saturday, October 17, following a series of Houthi missile and drone strikes that have severely disrupted global air travel to the region.

According to a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued on Monday, the airport will remain closed until 2100 GMT on October 17. The Saudi civil aviation authority stated that the extension is necessary to complete safety procedures and ensure the operational readiness of the facilities amidst escalating security threats.

The deteriorating security situation has prompted aviation bodies, including the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), to issue expanded warnings for operating in Saudi airspace.

Consequently, several major international carriers have halted services to the Kingdom. Lufthansa Group and Air France-KLM have cancelled flights to Riyadh until October 16 and the end of October, respectively. Regional airlines, including Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways, have also temporarily suspended flights to Riyadh, Dammam, and Jeddah. Furthermore, Delta Air Lines has postponed the launch of its Atlanta-Riyadh service from this October to March 2027.

The travel disruptions come as the Houthis claimed to have launched a ballistic missile at the Riyadh airport late Monday. However, Saudi authorities reported successfully intercepting and destroying the missile, along with two other ballistic missiles fired towards Khamis Mushait, according to Maj Gen Turki Al-Malki, official spokesperson for the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen.

Addressing a government press conference on Monday, media minister Salman bin Yousef Al-Dossary strongly condemned the attacks on civilians and vital infrastructure. He reaffirmed the Kingdom's unwavering determination to defend its territory and safeguard the lives of its citizens and residents.

The minister highlighted that targeting airports puts innocent travellers at grave risk, especially pilgrims and Umrah performers travelling to the holy sites in Makkah and Madinah. He assured the public that the government's elevated state of readiness across military, security, and health agencies is a comprehensive precautionary measure to confront any aerial threats and ensure daily life continues safely.