Cirium: King Khalid Airport Canceled 4,071 Flights Since October 8
Houthi missile and drone strikes have grounded 86% of scheduled departures at the Saudi capital's main hub, forcing Delta to delay its launch and canceling major national events.
By Nikhil Petrov ·
4,071 scheduled flights were canceled at King Khalid International Airport between October 8 and October 25, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
The cancellations account for 86% of the 4,736 flights planned for the period. The disruption stems from a sustained campaign by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis, who have targeted Saudi infrastructure with ballistic missiles and drones. Riyadh's airport, the second-busiest in the kingdom after Jeddah, has absorbed much of the impact.
The violence escalated on October 10 when an attack killed 13 people, marking the deadliest incident in the kingdom in over a decade. Saudi authorities halted operations that day and partially reopened the airport on Sunday. Domestic flights resumed from Terminal 1, while national carriers regained access to international services via Terminal 2.
The resumption of service was short-lived. On Monday, the Houthis announced a new attack on the airport, which they identified as a military target. In response to the ongoing instability, international airlines have suspended services to the Saudi capital through November. Delta Air Lines has moved the start of its Riyadh route to next year.
The aviation shutdown has disrupted business and travel across the country. Cirium data indicates that 45% of all scheduled departures from Saudi airports were canceled during the same two-week window, totaling more than 7,800 flights. The cancellation rate peaked on October 12, when over 60% of nationwide flights were scrapped.
Other hubs experienced similar strain. Dammam saw 42% of its flights canceled, while Abha, a site of claimed Houthi strikes, lost 46.7% of its services. Smaller regional airports were hit harder; at Najran, near the Yemeni border, every scheduled flight was canceled.
The disruption has extended beyond the tarmac. Several major events in Riyadh, including the country's primary investment conference, have been canceled or postponed due to the difficulty of travel to and within the kingdom.
Source: The Jerusalem Post
More Business · World news · Scam Watch · Report a business · Got a Story?
