Houthi attacks ground nearly 90% of Riyadh flights, forcing cancellations, paralyzing nation

Jerusalem Post/Middle EastThe upheaval also spread beyond the Saudi capital. More than 7,800 flights, or 45% of all scheduled departures from Saudi airports, were canceled between October 8 and October 25.Follow us on GoogleHouthi military release drone footage of drone strikes on vehicles and troops on the south coast highway, near Al Bahiya, Lahij Governorate, Yemen in this screengrab obtained from a handout video released on October 5, 2026.(photo credit: HOUTHI MILITARY MEDIA/via REUTERS)OCTOBER 26, 2026 12:59Attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis have nearly emptied the skies over Riyadh this month, aviation data showed on Monday, with cancellations grounding almost nine out of every 10 scheduled flights at the Saudi capital's airport.About 86% of scheduled flights at Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, or 4,071 out of 4,736, were canceled between October 8 and October 25, according to the latest data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.The Houthis have stepped up attacks on Saudi Arabia this month, targeting airports, ports and oil facilities with ballistic missiles and drones. Riyadh's airport, the kingdom's second-busiest after Jeddah, has been struck repeatedly, including an attack on October 10 that killed 13 people, the deadliest in the kingdom in more than a decade.Saudi authorities partially reopened the airport on Sunday after a halt that had started on October 10. Domestic flights resumed from Terminal 1, while national carriers were allowed to operate international services from Terminal 2.However, the Houthis said they had attacked Riyadh's airport again on Monday, calling it a "military target." The attacks have prompted international airlines to suspend services to the Saudi capital into November, while Delta Air Lines has postponed the launch of its Riyadh route until next year.Kohinoor Akhter Kakoli breaks down over the coffin of her husband, Md Shahed Ahmed, who was killed in the Houthi strike at Riyadh airport, after receiving his body at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on October 23, 2026. (credit: Salahuddin AHMED / AFP via Getty Images)Riyadh events canceled, other airports face disruptionThe disruption has forced several events in Riyadh to be canceled or postponed, including Saudi Arabia's marquee investment conference, as flight cancellations hamper travel to and across the kingdom.The upheaval also spread beyond the Saudi capital. More than 7,800 flights, or 45% of all scheduled departures from Saudi airports, were canceled between October 8 and October 25, according to Cirium. The peak came on October 12, when cancellations exceeded 60% of scheduled flights nationwide.Several major airports recorded severe disruption, including Riyadh at 86%, Dammam at 42% and Abha at 46.7%, where the Houthis have claimed strikes. A number of smaller regional airports saw the vast majority of flights canceled, including Najran, near the Yemeni border, where all flights were canceled.Cancellations across Saudi airports in October https://reut.rs/3UKliakFollow us on Google