Closure of Riyadh Airport Extended After Deadly Houthi Strikes
Some airlines suspend flights until later in October; Saudi-led coalition says it's dealing with drones and missiles heading towards kingdom
Riyadh: Saudi Arabia's civil aviation body Monday extended the suspension of operations at Riyadh's international airport following a series of deadly Houthi attacks.
"The General Authority of Civil Aviation has announced the extension of the suspension of operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh in order to complete the necessary procedures to verify the safety of the facilities and their operational readiness," the authority said in a statement, without specifying when operations would resume.
The Saudi-led coalition battling Yemen's Houthis said it was dealing with drones and missiles heading towards Saudi Arabia.
Operations at King Khalid International Airport, Saudi Arabia's second-busiest airport after Jeddah, were suspended to "allow for the completion of procedures to ensure the safety and operational readiness of the airport's facilities", the Saudi civil aviation authority said in a statement.
The airport has been shut since an attack on Saturday that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300, the deadliest in the kingdom in more than a decade. On Sunday, another attack killed one person and injured nearly a dozen others.
The attacks marked one of the most significant disruptions to Saudi aviation in years, adding to pressures on an industry already grappling with conflict across the Middle East.
The airport cancelled 99.7% of all scheduled flights on Sunday, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. An air traffic tracker from Flightradar24 showed no planes over the city.
The disruption has forced airlines across Europe and Asia to suspend services, while the Federal Aviation Administration advised US carriers on Sunday to exercise caution when flying to or over Saudi Arabia.
Lufthansa Group has cancelled all flights to Riyadh until October 16, while Air France-KLM has extended a previous suspension of services to and from the Saudi capital until the end of the month.
Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways was among the airlines that further extended Saudi flight cancellations, affecting around 20 flights to Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam on Monday and Tuesday.
The escalation with the Houthis has raised concerns over the broader economic impact. Saudi Arabia's real GDP is projected to contract by 3.6% this year, reflecting a combination of factors including lower oil activity.
The attacks have put events scheduled in Riyadh this month under pressure, including the kingdom's flagship investment conference and the WPC Energy Congress, where several top oil executives were dropped from the programme.
Meanwhile, The Australian embassy in Riyadh issued a new shelter in place order Monday, calling for people to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel, following a series of deadly attacks.
"Stay indoors, follow the advice of local authorities and avoid unnecessary travel," read a post by the embassy on an official social media account.
