Houthi Attacks Ground 4,071 Flights at Riyadh Airport
Nearly nine in ten scheduled departures were canceled between October 8 and 25 as strikes targeted the capital's infrastructure and major investment events were called off.
By Alejandro Brooks ·
Travelers across Saudi Arabia faced severe disruptions as Houthi missile and drone attacks forced the cancellation of nearly all commercial flights leaving the capital this month. The strikes have altered daily commutes and business schedules, prompting authorities to restrict operations at the kingdom's second-busiest airport.
Aviation analytics firm Cirium reported that 4,071 out of 4,736 scheduled flights at King Khalid International Airport were canceled between October 8 and October 25. This represents an 86% cancellation rate for the two-week period. The total number of canceled departures across all Saudi airports reached 7,800, accounting for 45% of scheduled national flights during the same window.
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis intensified their campaign against Saudi infrastructure, targeting airports, ports, and oil facilities with ballistic missiles and drones. An attack on Riyadh's airport on October 10 killed 13 people, marking the deadliest incident in the kingdom in more than a decade. Saudi authorities partially reopened the facility on Sunday, allowing domestic flights to resume from Terminal 1 and international services from Terminal 2. The Houthis declared the airport a military target and announced they had struck it again on Monday.
International carriers have suspended services to the Saudi capital through November. Delta Air Lines postponed the launch of its new Riyadh route until next year. The disruption has forced the cancellation or postponement of several major events in the capital, including the national investment conference, as flight cancellations hindered travel within the kingdom.
The impact extended beyond Riyadh to other major hubs. Dammam recorded a 42% cancellation rate, while Abha saw 46.7% of flights canceled. Smaller regional airports experienced near-total shutdowns. Najran, located near the Yemeni border, canceled all scheduled flights during the period. The highest nationwide cancellation rate occurred on October 12, when more than 60% of all scheduled departures were grounded.
Source: The Jerusalem Post
