Business travel Daily · Tuesday, 13 October 2026
TRAVELVISTA
Riyadh Airport in Saudi Arabia Attacked; Delta Delays New Route
Riyadh King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia was attacked on the evening of the 10th, causing at least 12 deaths and 309 injuries, and the airport was temporarily closed. Delta Air Lines has postponed its previously scheduled October 23 launch of a direct Atlanta-Riyadh route to March 2027. Travel managers involved in Middle East routes need to reassess related itineraries and capacity arrangements.
Payment and Expense Management
SAP News Concur SearchFirst partySAP launches AI spend management capabilities in Ariba, Fieldglass and Concur
On October 12, 2026, SAP announced at SAP Connect the launch of multiple AI innovations in SAP Ariba, SAP Fieldglass and SAP Concur, including Spend Analytics Assistant. This is the latest report on the event; previous reports only covered SAP Concur releasing new AI expense management features.
Travel Risk and Operational Disruption
Houthi Attacks on Saudi Airports Disrupt Flights
The Houthis attacked Abha International Airport in southern Saudi Arabia and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Tuesday and Wednesday, causing 3 deaths and 36 injuries, according to the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation. According to aviation analytics firm Cirium data, 312 of the 1,194 flights departing Saudi Arabia on Thursday were canceled or did not take off, more than a quarter of the total. Subsequent reports said Saudi authorities stated that the October 10 attack caused at least 12 deaths and more than 300 injuries, and operations at Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport were suspended again; the Yemeni Houthis claimed responsibility for the earlier attacks. The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation stated on local time the 11th that King Khalid International Airport was attacked on the evening of the 10th, causing at least 12 deaths and 309 injuries; the deceased include four Saudi citizens and one each of Bangladeshi, American, Egyptian, Jordanian, Syrian, Palestinian, and Sudanese nationalities, and the injured are all receiving treatment in hospitals, some in critical condition; the attack also caused property damage, and the losses are still being assessed. Delta Air Lines had originally planned to launch direct flights from Atlanta to Riyadh on October 23, which would be the first time a U.S. airline operates this route. The Yemeni Houthis admitted to launching the attacks, explicitly targeting Saudi airports and airspace, and warned international airlines and travelers to stay away. Delta Air Lines said on Monday that due to successive attacks on airports within Saudi Arabia, it will postpone the launch of the route to March 2027.
Houthi Attacks on Saudi Airports Disrupt Flights
The Houthis attacked Abha International Airport in southern Saudi Arabia and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Tuesday and Wednesday, causing 3 deaths and 36 injuries, according to the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation. According to aviation analytics firm Cirium data, 312 of the 1,194 flights departing Saudi Arabia on Thursday were canceled or did not take off, more than a quarter of the total. Subsequent reports said Saudi authorities stated that the October 10 attack caused at least 12 deaths and more than 300 injuries, and operations at Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport were suspended again; the Yemeni Houthis claimed responsibility for the earlier attacks. The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation stated on local time the 11th that King Khalid International Airport was attacked on the evening of the 10th, causing at least 12 deaths and 309 injuries; the deceased include four Saudi citizens and one each of Bangladeshi, American, Egyptian, Jordanian, Syrian, Palestinian, and Sudanese nationalities, and the injured are all receiving treatment in hospitals, some in critical condition; the attack also caused property damage, and the losses are still being assessed. Delta Air Lines had originally planned to launch direct flights from Atlanta to Riyadh on October 23, which would be the first time a U.S. airline operates this route. The Yemeni Houthis admitted to launching the attacks, explicitly targeting Saudi airports and airspace, and warned international airlines and travelers to stay away. Delta Air Lines said on Monday that due to successive attacks on airports within Saudi Arabia, it will postpone the launch of the route to March 2027.