Saudi minister vows 'serious response' to Houthi attacks on airports

Saudi Arabia extended the shutdown of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh until October 17, following attacks on the airport over the weekend. A Monday Notice to Air Missions set the closure to continue until 9 p.m. GMT on October 17, or midnight on October 18 in Saudi Arabia, according to Newswire. The General Authority of Civil Aviation said the extension would allow safety checks and preparation of airport facilities before operations resume.

Saudi authorities reported that an attack on Sunday killed one person and injured nearly a dozen. It came a day after a strike, attributed in reports to Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement, killed 13 and injured more than 300. The airport has been closed since Saturday, October 10. Newswire also reported that CCTV footage had emerged showing a missile striking the airport.

The Houthis warned passengers not to use airports in Saudi Arabia. Lankadeepa said the warning was directed at all air travellers, including foreign nationals. Ada Derana reported that the movement renewed its warning to airlines and travellers. Ada Derana also reported that a Saudi minister promised a serious response to the attacks.

The closure has disrupted air travel: Newswire reported that several airlines suspended flights to and from Riyadh and that aircraft were largely avoiding the city. Flights continued through other Saudi airports, including Jeddah. The outlet cited aviation analytics firm Cirium for a 46.4% cancellation rate across Saudi airports. The reports provided no further details on the expected resumption of Riyadh flights beyond the extended closure date.

Written automatically by AI from the outlets’ own reports, and not reviewed by an editor. It can be wrong — the original report is the authority.