Saudi authorities on Monday extended the suspension of operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, following weekend attacks blamed on Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis. The civil aviation authority said in a statement that the shutdown is needed to complete checks confirming the site is safe and ready for operations.
The airport, the kingdom’s second-busiest after Jeddah, has been shut since an attack on Saturday. That check-up is the stated reason for keeping it closed beyond the original timeline.
Saturday and Sunday attacks leave deadly toll in Riyadh
Saturday’s attack killed 13 people and wounded more than 300, making it the deadliest incident in the kingdom in over a decade. A second attack on Sunday killed one person and injured nearly a dozen others.
The strikes amounted to one of the most serious disruptions to Saudi aviation in years. The industry was already struggling with conflict across the Middle East.
Airlines suspend Riyadh services as cancellations mount
Aviation analytics firm Cirium said the airport cancelled 99.7% of its scheduled flights on Sunday. A Flightradar24 tracker showed no aircraft over the city. The US Federal Aviation Administration advised American carriers on Sunday to be cautious when flying to or over Saudi Arabia.
Lufthansa Group has cancelled all flights to Riyadh until October 16, while Air France-KLM has extended its earlier suspension to the end of the month. Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways also extended its Saudi cancellations, affecting around 20 flights to Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam on Monday and Tuesday.
Economic strain and Riyadh events under pressure
The escalation has raised concern about the wider economy. Saudi Arabia’s real GDP is projected to shrink 3.6% this year, reflecting factors including lower oil activity.
Events scheduled in Riyadh this month are also under strain. These include the kingdom’s flagship investment conference and the WPC Energy Congress, where several senior oil executives were removed from the programme.
