Saudi Arabia extends Riyadh airport shutdown after fresh Houthi strike

The Saudi civil aviation authority said operations will remain suspended while safety checks continue, after a fresh missile hit added to weekend casualties.

By Felo News Desk · Published Tue, 13 Oct 2026 01:10:39 GMT

Saudi Arabia has extended the suspension of all flights at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport until Oct. 17, following a new Houthi missile strike that killed one person and added to weekend casualties, according to the Saudi civil aviation authority.

What happened

The weekend of Oct. 10‑12 saw a series of missile and drone attacks attributed to Yemen’s Iran‑aligned Houthi movement. The first strike on Oct. 10 killed 13 people and injured more than 300, according to Saudi state TV. A second attack on Oct. 11 killed a Pakistani national and injured nearly a dozen others. On Oct. 12 a fresh missile hit the airport, killing one person, prompting authorities to prolong the shutdown.

What the reports add

DailyTimes reported that flight cancellations at Riyadh airport reached 99.7 % of scheduled services on Sunday, based on data from aviation analytics firm Cirium, and that Flightradar24 showed no aircraft over the city.
DailyTimes noted that Lufthansa Group cancelled all flights to Riyadh until Oct. 16, Air France‑KLM extended its suspension of flights to and from the capital until the end of October, and Etihad Airways extended cancellations affecting around 20 flights to Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam on Monday and Tuesday.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration advised American carriers to exercise caution when flying to or over Saudi Arabia, a warning echoed by DailyTimes.
The New York Post said the Saudi‑led coalition in Yemen reported that several missile and drone attacks were intercepted as they targeted key oil and gas facilities.
The Post added that cancellations across all Saudi airports reached 46 % on Monday, according to Cirium.
Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdul Aziz bin Salman condemned the attacks and vowed retaliation, saying, "The events of recent weeks are serious. Our response must be equally serious," and added, "We, as Saudis, are fearless, combatant and determined people. We shall prove it to the world that whatever we are going through, we will overcome it."
UAE senior adviser Anwar Gargash called for a revival of joint Gulf security action, stating, "It has become clear that we are all targeted, and that our security is indivisible," and, "There is a pressing need to revive joint Gulf action, particularly in its security and defense aspects, and to strengthen the collective security framework."

What was said

The Saudi civil aviation authority said operations would stay suspended while safety checks are completed. DailyTimes quoted the authority as stating that officials are working to ensure the airport meets “safety and operational readiness requirements.” The New York Post cited the Saudi‑led coalition in Yemen, noting that “several attacks were intercepted” as they aimed at key energy sites.

How it came about

Earlier this week, Felo News reported that the airport had briefly reopened on Oct. 9 after earlier strikes killed three people (see article). The same outlet later covered the extension of the shutdown after the latest strike (see article). The series of attacks follows earlier Houthi missile strikes on Abha and Riyadh airports that killed three foreign nationals and injured dozens (see article). A Houthi spokesman warned that all Saudi airports except Mecca and Medina were targets (see article).

Key facts

Saudi authorities extended the closure of King Khalid International Airport until Oct. 17. (dailytimes.com.pk)
A fresh missile strike on Oct. 12 killed one person. (nypost.com)
Weekend attacks killed 13 people and injured more than 300, according to Saudi state TV. (dailytimes.com.pk)
Flight cancellations at the airport reached 99.7% of scheduled services on Sunday. (dailytimes.com.pk)
Several missile and drone attacks were intercepted as they targeted oil and gas facilities. (nypost.com)