Riyadh Airport Halts Operations After New Wave of Attacks
Wertynews.com – King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh temporarily suspended operations Saturday after an attack left multiple people injured and prompted an assessment of damage at Saudi Arabia’s main aviation hub.
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation confirmed that people had been hurt and said the airport’s shutdown was intended to allow safety checks to be completed with other relevant agencies.
“The attack resulted in a number of injuries, which are being dealt with.”
The aviation authority said flights would remain paused while officials examined the damage and verified that airport facilities could safely resume service. The closure disrupted a major gateway for Saudi Arabia’s capital, with FlightAware listing 324 canceled arrivals and departures on Saturday.
Saudia recorded the largest share of those cancellations, with 182 flights called off. The airline had already suffered a fatal loss earlier in the week when one of its pilots was killed in a Houthi strike on Thursday.
Travel warnings and evacuation reports
The latest incident came amid reports of an explosion and an evacuation at the airport. Air traffic was halted, and regional officials said the facility had again been targeted just two days after an earlier attack killed three Saudi citizens, including the Saudia pilot.
The U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia urged American citizens to stay away from King Khalid International Airport and nearby areas. It also warned travelers to expect possible flight cancellations, airspace restrictions and other disruptions.
“The U.S. Mission is aware of attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on October 10 and strongly recommends all U.S. citizens avoid this airport and surrounding areas.”
U.S. government employees based in Saudi Arabia need special authorization before using the Riyadh airport, the embassy said.
Other diplomatic missions issued similar advice. The Canadian, German and Spanish embassies encouraged their citizens to avoid the airport following the reported attack. Spain’s embassy described the incident as a new strike by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement, while Canada cited continuing military activity affecting the airport. Germany referred to the security situation without providing further detail.
France’s embassy had issued a separate warning Friday, telling French citizens in Saudi Arabia to exercise the highest level of caution following recent Houthi strikes. It also advised nationals not to film impacted areas or post images of them online.
Airport becomes a repeated target
King Khalid International Airport lies hundreds of miles north of the Yemen border, making it a significant target in the expanding confrontation involving Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthis. The airport is a central travel hub for Riyadh and serves domestic, regional and international routes.
The Houthis have struck the airport several times during the past week. Four people have been killed in attacks there, including three deaths Thursday. A Sudanese national was killed in a separate attack Wednesday, for which the Houthis claimed responsibility.
Multiple injuries have also been reported following a strike on Abha International Airport in southern Saudi Arabia. The repeated attacks have raised concerns for travelers, airport staff and residents as disruptions spread across the kingdom’s aviation network.
The latest Riyadh incident followed a major military offensive launched in neighboring Yemen by a Saudi-led coalition against Houthi rebels. The Houthis had not immediately issued a statement on Saturday’s reported strike.
Saudi authorities have closely controlled public information about the recent attacks, leaving residents and travelers with limited details about the extent of the danger or the duration of closures. The government-run Center for International Communication did not immediately provide a response on the new incident.
What the closure means for travelers
The suspension at King Khalid International Airport means passengers may face canceled flights, delayed departures, rerouted services and changing airspace conditions. Travelers with plans involving Riyadh should confirm the status of their flights directly with their airline before heading to the airport and should allow for significant changes to itineraries.
The events also underline the broader risk that military escalation can pose to civilian transportation infrastructure. Even when an airport’s facilities are not permanently damaged, safety inspections, emergency evacuations and airspace restrictions can quickly affect thousands of passengers and connecting flights.
For now, airport operations remain tied to the completion of damage assessments and safety verification. Saudi officials have said the injured are receiving treatment as authorities evaluate when the facility can safely reopen.
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