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.