King Khalid Airport Scraps 4,071 Flights as Houthi Strikes Hit Riyadh

Saudi Arabia's King Khalid International Airport canceled 4,071 of 4,736 scheduled flights between October 8 and October 25, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. That figure represents roughly 86% of the airport's timetable for the period.

The Houthis have intensified their campaign against Saudi Arabia in recent weeks with ballistic missiles and drones aimed at airports, ports and oil facilities. An October 10 strike on Riyadh's airport killed 13 people, the deadliest such attack in the kingdom in more than a decade. Riyadh's airport is the kingdom's second-busiest after Jeddah.

Saudi authorities partially reopened the airport on Sunday, October 25, after a halt that began on October 10. Domestic flights resumed from Terminal 1, while national carriers were permitted to run international services from Terminal 2. On Monday, October 26, the Houthis said they had attacked the airport again, calling it a "military target."

International airlines have suspended services to the Saudi capital into November, and Delta Air Lines has pushed back the launch of its Riyadh route until next year. Several Riyadh events have been canceled or postponed, including Saudi Arabia's investment conference.

The disruption is not limited to Riyadh. Cirium recorded more than 7,800 canceled flights across Saudi airports from October 8 to October 25, or 45% of scheduled departures. Cancellations peaked on October 12, when more than 60% of scheduled flights nationwide were scrapped.

Dammam recorded 42% cancellations, and Abha, where the Houthis have claimed strikes, recorded 46.7%. At Najran, near the Yemeni border, every flight was canceled.