Riyadh airport loses most flights to Houthi strikes

Aviation data released on Monday indicates that missile attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis have severely disrupted air traffic in Saudi Arabia.

Between October 8 and October 25, 4,071 scheduled flights at King Khalid International Airport were canceled. This figure represents 86% of the 4,736 flights planned for that period, according to analytics firm Cirium. The airport serves as the kingdom's second-busiest hub, following only Jeddah.

The disruption began with a strike on October 10 that killed 13 people, marking the deadliest incident in the country in over a decade. Saudi authorities halted operations on that date and partially reopened the facility on Sunday. Terminal 1 resumed domestic flights, while national carriers were permitted to handle international departures from Terminal 2.

Houthi leaders described the airport as a military target and claimed another attack on Monday. The group has targeted ports, oil facilities, and airports with ballistic missiles and drones throughout the month.

International airlines have suspended services to Riyadh through November. Delta Air Lines postponed the launch of its new route to the city until next year. The flight cancellations have also forced the cancellation or postponement of major local events, including the kingdom's primary investment conference.

The impact extended to other parts of the country. Cirium data shows that 7,800 flights, or 45% of all scheduled departures from Saudi airports, were canceled during the same two-week window. National cancellations peaked on October 12 when more than 60% of flights were grounded.

Dammam airport recorded a 42% cancellation rate, while Abha saw 46.7% of flights canceled. In Najran, a region near the Yemeni border, all scheduled flights were canceled.