Riyadh airport hit twice more as airlines suspend Saudi flights

Two more missile attacks on Riyadh's King Khalid International airport have killed three people and damaged an aircraft belonging to Saudia, according to Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation. The regulator said the strikes took place on 8 October and that one hit airport facilities while the other struck the Saudia jet. It reported injuries among Saudi citizens and residents of several nationalities, with conditions ranging from minor to critical, along with some damage to property. The statement was issued on 9 October.

Images circulating on social media, which have not been verified, show a Saudia Airbus A320-family aircraft with most of its fuselage burned.

The two Riyadh strikes follow ballistic missile attacks on 6 and 7 October against Riyadh and Abha airports that killed three people and injured more than 30. The Houthi movement, based in Yemen, said it carried out both sets of attacks and warned international airlines to stay out of Saudi airspace because of the danger of additional strikes.

Several international carriers have suspended services to Saudi Arabia in response to the four airport strikes reported this week.

The US Embassy in Saudi Arabia described the situation on 8 October, saying the Houthis had carried out hostilities in the country that included attacks on civilian airports and other critical infrastructure, causing civilian casualties. The embassy said the hostilities could escalate quickly.

In a conflict zone information bulletin updated on 9 October, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency advised against flying at any level or altitude inside the area covered by the Jeddah flight information region.