4,071 Riyadh Flights Scrapped in Two Weeks

Aviation analytics firm Cirium reports that 4,071 scheduled flights were canceled at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh between October 8 and October 25. The figure represents 86% of the 4,736 flights that were originally planned for the period.

The cancellations followed a series of missile and drone strikes by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis. The group targeted infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, including airports, ports, and oil facilities. An attack on October 10 killed 13 people, marking the deadliest incident in the kingdom in over ten years.

Saudi authorities partially reopened the airport on Sunday after a full halt that began on October 10. Domestic flights resumed from Terminal 1, while national carriers were allowed to operate international services from Terminal 2. However, the Houthis announced a new strike on Riyadh’s airport on Monday, labeling it a military target.

The disruption has forced major changes in airline schedules. International carriers have suspended services to the Saudi capital through November. Delta Air Lines has delayed the launch of its Riyadh route until next year. The flight instability has also led to the cancellation or postponement of several high-profile events in Riyadh, including the country’s main investment conference.

The impact extends beyond the capital. Cirium data indicates that more than 7,800 flights, or 45% of all scheduled departures from Saudi airports, were canceled during the same two-week window. Cancellations peaked on October 12, when over 60% of nationwide flights were scrapped. Dammam saw a 42% cancellation rate, while Abha recorded 46.7%. At Najran, near the Yemeni border, all flights were canceled.