Cirium Data: 4,071 Flights Canceled at King Khalid Airport
Houthi missile and drone strikes have grounded 86% of scheduled traffic at Saudi Arabia's second-busiest hub since October 8.
By Olga Kaur ·
Travelers using King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh have faced a drastic reduction in service this month. Aviation analytics firm Cirium reported on Monday that 4,071 of 4,736 scheduled flights were canceled between October 8 and October 25. This figure represents an 86% drop in operations at the airport, which ranks as the second-busiest in Saudi Arabia after Jeddah.
The disruption stems from a sustained campaign by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis, who have targeted Saudi infrastructure with ballistic missiles and drones. An attack on October 10 resulted in 13 deaths, marking the deadliest incident in the kingdom in over a decade. Saudi authorities halted operations at the hub following that strike. A partial reopening occurred on Sunday, with domestic flights resuming from Terminal 1 and international services from national carriers moving to Terminal 2.
The resumption of service was interrupted on Monday when the Houthis announced a fresh attack on the airport, which they designated as a military target. In response to the ongoing instability, international airlines have suspended routes to Riyadh through November. Delta Air Lines has postponed the launch of its new Riyadh service until next year.
The impact of the air traffic collapse has extended across the Saudi aviation network. Cirium data indicates that more than 7,800 flights, or 45% of all scheduled departures from Saudi airports, were canceled during the same period. Cancellations reached a peak on October 12, when over 60% of nationwide scheduled flights were scrapped.
Other major hubs have experienced similar strain. Dammam recorded a 42% cancellation rate, while Abha, which has been the subject of Houthi strike claims, saw 46.7% of flights canceled. Smaller regional airports suffered more severe losses. At Najran, located near the Yemeni border, every scheduled flight was canceled. The travel disruptions have also forced the postponement of major events in Riyadh, including the country's primary investment conference.
Source: The Jerusalem Post
