Riyadh Airport Resumes Flights After Houthi Attacks

Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport announced that flights would resume on Sunday, October 25, following a two-week shutdown triggered by Houthi attacks on the Saudi capital. However, the Iran-backed group has warned of further strikes.

Flight-tracking website Flightradar24 showed an aircraft departing Riyadh early Sunday for the Saudi city of Jeddah, signalling the resumption of flight operations.

Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s internationally recognised government, which Riyadh supports, have faced a series of Houthi attacks in recent weeks following the collapse of a years-long truce during the summer.

The renewed fighting has shifted attention in the wider US-Iran war and further aggravated Yemen’s humanitarian crisis, which continues to devastate one of the world’s poorest countries.

In a post on X on Saturday, King Khalid International Airport announced that Terminal 1 would handle domestic flights, while Terminal 2 would serve international flights operated by national carriers, effective Sunday, October 25, 2026.

The Houthis have launched multiple waves of attacks targeting Riyadh’s airport. An attack earlier this month reportedly killed 13 people and injured more than 300, marking the deadliest assault in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade.

Despite the resumption of flights, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree warned that the airport remained unsafe and continued to be considered a military target.

“The Yemeni Armed Forces warn all international, regional, and local airlines—as well as staff and travellers—against using King Khalid Airport in Riyadh, as it is unsafe and serves as a military target for our forces,” Saree said.

He added that the Saudi government would be responsible for the consequences of any military operations targeting the airport.

Meanwhile, the Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Houthis said early Sunday that it had intercepted and shot down two drones in the Riyadh area.