Riyadh passengers face mass cancellations after new Houthi strike

Travelers attempting to depart from the Saudi capital now face a nearly empty sky. Between October 8 and October 25, 4,071 of the 4,736 scheduled flights at King Khalid International Airport were canceled. That figure represents an 86% loss in capacity, according to data released Monday by aviation analytics firm Cirium.

The disruption stems from a sustained campaign by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi forces. Over the past three weeks, the group has targeted Saudi infrastructure with ballistic missiles and drones, focusing on airports, ports, and oil facilities. The assault on Riyadh's main airport intensified on October 10 when a strike killed 13 people. That event marked the deadliest attack in the kingdom in over a decade.

Saudi authorities attempted to stabilize operations by partially reopening the airport on Sunday. Domestic services resumed from Terminal 1, and national carriers were allowed to operate international routes from Terminal 2. The plan was short-lived. Houthi leaders announced on Monday that they had struck the airport again, labeling it a military objective.

International carriers have reacted swiftly to the renewed threat. Many have suspended services to the Saudi capital through November. Delta Air Lines has delayed the launch of its new Riyadh route until next year. These changes mean fewer options for business and leisure travelers trying to enter or exit the region.

The impact extends well beyond aviation. Major events in the city have been canceled or postponed, including Saudi Arabia's primary investment conference. The difficulty of traveling within the kingdom has become a logistical hurdle for organizers and attendees alike.

The national picture reflects the strain on the capital. Cirium reports that more than 7,800 flights were canceled across all Saudi airports during the same two-week period. That accounts for 45% of all scheduled departures nationwide. The peak of the disruption occurred on October 12, when more than 60% of flights across the country were scrapped.

Other hubs have also experienced severe reductions. Dammam saw a 42% cancellation rate, while Abha, where the Houthis claimed strikes, lost 46.7% of its flights. Smaller regional airports suffered more heavily. At Najran, located near the Yemeni border, every scheduled flight was canceled.