King Khalid International Airport Suspension Extended After Deadly Houthi Attacks
RIYADH, October 12 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) - The General Authority of Civil Aviation extended the suspension of operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Monday following deadly Houthi attacks over the weekend. The General Authority of Civil Aviation said the suspension would allow procedures to verify the safety and operational readiness of airport facilities to be completed.
King Khalid International Airport has been closed since Saturday’s attack, which killed 13 people and injured more than 300, Reuters reported. A further attack on Sunday killed one person and injured nearly a dozen others.
King Khalid International Airport cancelled 99.7% of its scheduled flights on Sunday, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. A Flightradar24 air traffic tracker showed no aircraft over Riyadh, Reuters reported.
Lufthansa has cancelled all flights to Riyadh through October 16. Air France–KLM has extended its suspension of services to and from the Saudi capital until the end of October.
Etihad Airways also extended cancellations, affecting around 20 flights to Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam on Monday and Tuesday. The Federal Aviation Administration advised U.S. carriers on Sunday to exercise caution when flying to or over Saudi Arabia.
The disruption is putting pressure on events scheduled in Riyadh this month, including Saudi Arabia’s flagship investment conference and the WPC Energy Congress, Reuters reported. Several top oil company executives were removed from the WPC Energy Congress programme.
Source: Reuters.
