Riyadh airport shutdown cuts Saudi air cargo capacity by one‑third

Saudi Arabia lost almost a third of its international air cargo capacity over three days after King Khalid International Airport was declared unavailable following attacks, with combined inbound and outbound capacity falling to 7,292 tonnes.

At Riyadh the capacity of all airlines except narrow‑body passenger aircraft dropped 99% from 3,925 tonnes to 26 tonnes, and the Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation extended the suspension while safety checks were completed, without setting a reopening date; international carriers such as Air France‑KLM and Etihad cancelled flights, and Delta postponed its new Atlanta‑Riyadh service.

The prolonged closure is expected to keep cargo capacity reduced until the airport reopens, affecting airlines’ schedules and freight volumes.