Riyadh airport shutdown after attacks cuts Saudi cargo capacity by a third

Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid International Airport was declared unavailable after attacks on 10 October.

The shutdown reduced combined inbound and outbound air‑cargo capacity across the kingdom by 33% to 7,292 tonnes, with capacity at Riyadh falling from 3,925 tonnes to just 26 tonnes, a 99% drop, over a three‑day period.

International carriers including Air France‑KLM, Etihad and Delta have suspended or postponed Riyadh services, with Delta pushing its planned Atlanta‑Riyadh launch to March 2027.