Riyadh airport shutdown extended until October 17 after Houthi strikes

Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport will stay shut until October 17 after deadly Houthi attacks. The closure has widened airline cancellations and sharpened concerns over risks to civilian aviation.

In Short

• King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh closed till October 17
• Houthi strikes killed 14 people and injured over 300
• Flight cancellations in Saudi Arabia reached 46.4%

Saudi Arabia's King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh will remain closed until October 17 after a series of deadly attacks by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels disrupted air travel.

A Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM), an official aviation alert that informs pilots and airlines about restrictions affecting flights, issued on Monday said the airport would remain closed until 2100 GMT on October 17. The extension means airlines will have to continue cancelling or rescheduling services to the Saudi capital as authorities assess the security situation.

Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority said operations at the airport had been suspended "to allow for the completion of procedures to ensure the safety and operational readiness of the airport's facilities". King Khalid International Airport is the kingdom's second-busiest airport after Jeddah and a major gateway for international travellers. Its prolonged closure has disrupted passenger journeys and forced airlines to reconsider routes across the region.

The shutdown follows a deadly weekend of attacks. A strike on Saturday killed 13 people and wounded more than 300, while another attack on Sunday killed one person and injured nearly a dozen others.

'UNPRECEDENTED' THREAT TO CIVILIAN AVIATION

The attacks have raised fresh concerns about civilian airports becoming targets during armed conflicts, potentially putting passengers, airport workers and flight crews at risk.

"This level of sustained intense attack on civil aviation is unprecedented," Mark Zee, founder of OPSGROUP, a membership-based organisation that provides aviation safety advice, told news agency Reuters.

"I think this requires us to rethink how we view the current risk picture, and tread very carefully," he added.

The concerns is not limited to Riyadh. When an airport is closed because of a security threat, airlines may have to cancel flights, divert aircraft or reroute services to avoid potentially dangerous airspace. Such changes can affect flight schedules across multiple countries, particularly when an airport serves as an important connection point.

Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 showed aircraft avoiding Riyadh on Monday, although planes continued to cross Saudi airspace and land at Jeddah, which is a major aviation hub on the kingdom's western coast. Aviation analytics firm Cirium reported that cancellations across Saudi Arabia's airports had reached 46.4 per cent.

AIRLINES EXTEND FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS

Airlines across Europe and Asia have suspended or postponed services to Saudi Arabia as the attacks continue to affect aviation operations.

Lufthansa Group has cancelled flights to Riyadh until October 16, while Air France has extended its suspension of services to and from the Saudi capital until the end of October. Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways has also extended flight cancellations affecting the kingdom. Delta Air Lines said it was postponing the planned launch of flights between Atlanta and Riyadh. The services, which were initially scheduled to begin on October 23, have been delayed until March 2027.

The cancellations reflect the difficulty airlines face when security risks make it uncertain whether a route can operate safely and reliably. Even when an airline does not serve an affected airport directly, restrictions on nearby airspace can force it to alter flight paths, increasing journey times and operating costs.

The US Federal Aviation Administration advised American carriers on Sunday to exercise caution when flying to or over Saudi Arabia. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency had also widened its warning on Saudi airspace, citing missile and drone attacks.

AIRLINES ADVISED TO AVOID PARTS OF MIDDLE EAST AIRSPACE

The escalating security situation has prompted aviation safety specialists to recommend alternative routes for flights connecting Europe and Asia. OPSGROUP advised airlines to avoid the southern aviation corridor over the Middle East and consider routes through Central Asia instead. While such diversions can reduce exposure to areas considered unsafe, they also add distance to some journeys and limit the routes available to airlines.

Zee said the changes could create significant complications for carriers operating through major Gulf aviation hubs.

That adds "extensive distance" for some routes and "closes off options for getting into Dubai, Abu Dhabi for most western carriers," he said.

The Gulf region is an important international aviation crossroads, connecting Europe with Asia, Africa and other destinations. Disruptions in this corridor can therefore affect passengers and airlines well beyond Saudi Arabia.

Longer routes can also mean higher fuel consumption, additional operating expenses and scheduling complications. Airlines may have to adjust aircraft rotations and crew arrangements, while passengers face cancellations, delays and missed connections.

- Ends
With inputs from agencies