Saudi airport attacks trigger flight suspensions and Delta postpones Atlanta‑Riyadh

Airport attacks

A missile strike launched from Houthi‑controlled territory hit King Khalid International Airport on 10 October 2026, killing 12 people and injuring 309. Operations at the airport were immediately suspended and the flight ban was later extended until at least midnight on 12 October 2026. A second attack on 11 October killed one person and injured 11, and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam was also targeted.

GACA confirmed two separate attacks on the Riyadh airport, reporting that three Saudi citizens were killed and 36 people injured. The authority said airport operations had resumed and air traffic returned to normal.

Saudi authorities said two ballistic missiles were intercepted over Riyadh during the attacks; debris damaged a kindergarten and a medical clinic. A Saudia aircraft caught fire while parked at the airport and is considered a likely hull loss.

Flight disruptions

GACA suspended operations at King Khalid International Airport on 10 October and extended the suspension on 12 October to allow safety procedures to be completed. The airport saw 330 flight cancellations on 11 October, affecting carriers such as Qatar Airways, Emirates, Turkish Airlines and Ethiopian Airlines. Qatar Airways announced schedule adjustments and advised passengers to check flight status, while Ethiopian Airlines suspended flights to Riyadh and Dammam.

Cirium recorded 293 cancelled or non‑operating flights at Riyadh on the day of the Thursday attack, representing about 39 % of scheduled arrivals and departures. Saudia cancelled 162 scheduled flights and delayed 108 on the day of the attack. Low‑cost carriers flyadeal and flynas recorded 39 and 37 cancellations respectively, with 53 and 86 delays.

Lufthansa and Air India suspended flights to Riyadh following the attacks.

Delta service delay

Delta Air Lines delayed its planned nonstop flights between Atlanta and Riyadh until March 2027 after the deadly missile attacks on Saudi airports.