RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Saudi Arabia has extended the closure of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh until October 17 following a series of deadly attacks blamed on Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement, forcing airlines to cancel flights and reroute services across the Middle East.
The Saudi civil aviation authority said operations at the kingdom’s second-busiest airport after Jeddah had been suspended to allow authorities to complete procedures aimed at ensuring the safety and operational readiness of airport facilities.
A Notice to Airmen issued on Monday indicated that the airport would remain closed until 9pm GMT on October 17.
The closure follows an attack on Saturday that killed 13 people and injured more than 300, according to the reported figures, making it the deadliest incident in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade. Another attack on Sunday reportedly killed one person and injured nearly a dozen others.
Late on Monday, the Houthis claimed responsibility for an attack on the airport using a ballistic missile. The claim came shortly after Saudi authorities said they had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic 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 that reported attack.
Airlines Cancel Flights As Aviation Disruption Spreads
The extended closure has disrupted regional and international air travel, with airlines across Europe and Asia suspending services to Saudi Arabia as security concerns grow.
Aviation analytics firm Cirium reported that cancellations across Saudi airports had reached 46.4 per cent.
Lufthansa Group has 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 also cancelled flights between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam, citing regional disruption. The airline said services between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh would remain cancelled until October 19.
Qatar Airways temporarily suspended flights to and from Riyadh and Dammam, while Delta Air Lines delayed the planned launch of its Atlanta-Riyadh service, initially scheduled for October 23, until March 2027.
The United States Federal Aviation Administration has advised American carriers to exercise caution when operating flights to or over Saudi Arabia. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has also expanded its warning over Saudi airspace, citing the growing risk posed by missile and drone attacks.
Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 showed aircraft avoiding Riyadh on Monday, although planes continued crossing Saudi airspace and landing at Jeddah, the kingdom’s major aviation hub on the Red Sea coast.
Aviation Experts Warn Of Growing Safety Risks
The attacks have raised concerns about the vulnerability of civilian aviation infrastructure amid escalating regional hostilities.
“This level of sustained intense attack on civil aviation is unprecedented,” said Mark Zee, founder of OPSGROUP, an organisation that provides aviation safety advice to its members.
Zee urged airlines to reassess the risks associated with operating in the region and exercise greater caution.
OPSGROUP has advised airlines to avoid the southern aviation corridor over the Middle East and consider alternative routes between Europe and Asia through Central Asia.
Such diversions can add significant distance to some journeys and limit options for airlines serving major Gulf hubs, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Aviation analyst John Strickland said the impact extended beyond Saudi Arabia, affecting the wider region and its international connections.
The disruption comes as airlines contend with conflict-related operational challenges and higher jet fuel prices, which have added pressure to operating costs.
Saudi Business Events Face Uncertainty
The security situation has also raised concerns over major business and energy events scheduled to take place in Riyadh this month.
The kingdom’s flagship investment conference and the WPC Energy Congress are among the events facing pressure from the deteriorating security environment. Several senior oil executives were reportedly removed from the programme of one of the events.
The disruption adds another challenge for Saudi Arabia as it seeks to maintain investor confidence and sustain economic activity amid regional instability.
Saudi Arabia’s real gross domestic product is projected to contract by 3.6 per cent this year, according to the figures cited in the report, reflecting a combination of factors that include reduced oil activity.
With Riyadh’s main airport remaining closed until October 17, airlines and travellers face continued uncertainty over flight schedules, while authorities work to address security concerns following the attacks.
