Riyadh Airport Attacked, Flights Halted, Several Injured
The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said the strike hit Saturday afternoon and that officials were still counting the wounded. It said operations were suspended while teams assessed the damage and checked the safety of facilities, working with relevant agencies. GACA promised further updates later.
The statement named no culprit and gave no details on the weapons used.
Closure window. A Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) for the airport showed it would be unavailable from 1627 GMT to 2100 GMT Saturday due to “precautionary measures,” according to the NOTAM Viewer website.
Travel fallout. The Saudi Foreign Ministry told citizens whose trips were disrupted by suspended or delayed flights to contact Saudi diplomatic missions in the countries where they are currently located. The ministry said the missions would provide assistance and necessary guidance.
The US and UK embassies in Saudi Arabia also told their nationals on Saturday to avoid the airport after the attacks, citing security risks and possible travel disruptions.
Earlier in the day, the airport advised passengers to contact their airlines directly and check flight status before leaving for the terminal, amid reports of air traffic disruptions. Its first advisory gave no cause.
Kuwait Airways canceled flight KU775 from Kuwait to Riyadh and return flight KU776, citing the airport’s closure due to the “security situation.” The carrier urged passengers to monitor flight updates through its official channels and said notifications would go to the contact details registered with bookings.
Pattern of attacks. The suspension follows a run of Houthi attacks on Saudi airports and other facilities. Saudi authorities said Friday that three citizens were killed and others injured in two attacks on Thursday targeting facilities at the airport and a Saudi Arabian Airlines aircraft. GACA said operations later resumed and air traffic returned to normal.
The Houthis have claimed responsibility for several missile and drone attacks on the airport and other Saudi airports in recent days.
Yemen has been in conflict since the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and several provinces in September 2014. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in March 2015 to back Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
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