Riyadh Airport Continues Closure Until October 17 with 313 Flights Canceled

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh continues its closure to flights, according to an official notice lasting until 21:00 GMT on October 17, an announced date that does not guarantee automatic reopening.

Data from aviation analytics firm Cirium showed that 313 out of 1,097 scheduled flights from Saudi airports on October 14 were canceled or did not operate, compared to a rate of about 60% on Monday.

This disruption followed repeated Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, including an attack on October 10 that reportedly killed at least 12 people and injured more than 300 others.

International airlines recorded suspensions or postponements of their flights to Saudi Arabia, including Delta, Cathay Pacific, Philippine Airlines, Air France-KLM, Etihad Airways, flydubai, and Lufthansa Group, each with separate schedules for suspension or postponement.

What do these terms mean?

Greenwich Mean Time (GMT): The reference universal time from which time zones around the world are calculated, also referred to as international time.

Flight Suspension: A temporary stoppage of flights without permanent cancellation, which the airline can resume once the reason ceases to exist.

Operational Capacity: The number of flights that an airport or airline can actually operate at a given time.