Riyadh Airport Flights Suspended After Deadly Strikes; Kuwait Airways Cancels

Flights to and from the Saudi capital are on hold after repeated missile strikes hit a passenger terminal at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation has suspended all operations at the airport until further notice and diverted flights, and Kuwait Airways has cancelled two services to and from Riyadh.

Key facts

• Saturday's missile strike on a passenger terminal killed 12 people and injured more than 300; one account put the number of injured at 309.
• A second projectile struck the same terminal on Sunday, with the Saudi-led coalition reporting that Terminals 3 and 4 were affected.
• Operations at King Khalid International Airport are suspended until further notice, with flights diverted and some cancelled.
• Kuwait Airways cancelled two flights to and from Riyadh because of the airport's closure.
• Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sari warned airlines to avoid Saudi airports and airspace, exempting only the airports of Mecca and Medina.

What happened at Riyadh's airport?

A projectile struck a passenger terminal at King Khalid International Airport on Sunday, a day after a missile hit the same terminal and killed 12 people. The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen said the Sunday strike affected Terminals 3 and 4, and Saudi authorities said the airport had been closed since Saturday's attack.

The coalition spokesman, Turki al-Maliki, said air defences intercepted and destroyed a cruise missile in the airport's vicinity after what he described as an attack with an unknown projectile on Passenger Hall 4. The airport complex has been struck four times in the past five days. Coverage differed on the second strike: one account said the Houthis had claimed it, while another said they had not yet claimed responsibility for the latest attack.

Which flights are affected?

The civil aviation authority said operations were suspended until further notice and that all flights were diverted after the Saturday attack. The airport was evacuated and some flights were cancelled, and one tally cited in the coverage counted 221 cancelled flights at the airport since dawn.

Kuwait Airways announced the cancellation of two flights to and from Riyadh because of the closure. No reopening date has been announced; the suspension is pending an assessment of the damage.

What have the Houthis warned?

The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attacks and warned that airports and Saudi airspace should not be used because they are potential targets. Yahya Sari said the armed forces of Yemen were reiterating their warning to all airlines, and the group also warned aviation companies, experts, employees, workers and travellers to avoid Saudi airports and airspace. "We urge everyone to take our warnings seriously," he said. Only the airports of Mecca and Medina were exempted from the warning.

Are other Saudi airports affected?

Saudi Arabia announced that King Fahd International Airport in Dammam was targeted hours after confirming that Riyadh's airport had been hit again.

What this means for travellers

Anyone booked on flights to or from Riyadh should expect cancellations and diversions while the suspension is in force, and check the status of their flight before going to the airport. The Houthi warning covers Saudi airspace and airports generally, not only King Khalid International, and the source gives no date for a return to normal operations.

The escalation comes as Saudi Arabia seeks to open up as a business and tourism destination. The situation remains unresolved: no reopening date has been set, and the wider confrontation is still developing, with President Donald Trump reported to be weighing whether to join the fight against the Houthis.