King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, has been suspended due to recent deadly Houthi attacks. This decision was made to ensure the safety and operational readiness of the airport facilities.
Details of the Attacks and Their Consequences
The attacks on Saturday, which resulted in the deaths of 13 people and injuries to over 300, were the deadliest in Saudi Arabia in over a decade. On Sunday, another attack killed one person and injured nearly a dozen. These attacks have been described as one of the most significant disruptions to Saudi Arabia's aviation industry in recent years, increasing pressures on an industry already facing regional conflicts and high jet fuel prices.
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Impact on Flights and Air Services
According to obtained information, King Khalid Airport canceled 99.7 percent of its scheduled flights on Sunday. Flight trackers indicate that on Monday, aircraft avoided flying over Riyadh, although flights continued in other parts of Saudi Arabia. This disruption has put pressure on airlines in Europe and Asia, forcing them to suspend services to Riyadh. In this context, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has advised American airlines to exercise caution when flying to or over Saudi Arabia.
Lufthansa has canceled all its flights to Riyadh until October 16, and Air France-KLM has extended its suspension of services to and from the Saudi capital until the end of this month. Additionally, Etihad Airways has extended its cancellation of flights to Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam until Monday and Tuesday.
These attacks have also raised serious concerns about broader economic impacts. Saudi Arabia's real GDP is expected to decline by 3.6 percent this year, driven by a combination of factors including reduced oil activities. Furthermore, these attacks have affected scheduled events in Riyadh this month, including the country's flagship investment conference and the WPC energy congress, where several senior oil executives were removed from the agenda.
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