Riyadh airport to remain shut this week

Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport will remain closed until at least Saturday after a series of attacks by Yemen’s Houthis, airlines have cancelled flights while authorities suspend operations. The airport has been shut since an attack on October 12 that killed 13 people and wounded over 300, the deadliest in the kingdom in over a decade.

Another attack on Sunday left one dead and nearly a dozen injured, with the Saudi civil aviation authority citing the need to complete safety procedures before reopening. Mark Zee of OPSGROUP, an aviation safety organization, noted that sustained attacks on civil aviation are unprecedented and called for careful review of risk perceptions.

European and Asian airlines have suspended services, while the FAA advised US carriers to exercise caution. The disruption has affected 46.4% of Saudi flights and prompted EU aviation body EASA to widen a Saudi airspace warning. Airlines are rerouting flights to avoid the southern corridor, adding significant distance. Major carriers such as Lufthansa, Air France-KLM, and Etihad have cancelled Riyadh flights until late October.

The attacks have raised concerns about the economic impact, as Saudi Arabia’s real GDP is projected to contract by 3.6% this year. Key business events in Riyadh, including an investment conference, have been affected.