Saudi authorities have extended the suspension of operations at the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh following deadly attacks over the weekend by Yemen’s Houthis.
The Saudi civil aviation authority said that the closure would remain in place to complete safety checks and ensure the airport’s facilities were operationally ready. The airport, the country’s second busiest after Jeddah, has been closed since Saturday’s attack killed 13 people and injured more than 300.
A separate attack on Sunday killed one person and wounded nearly a dozen others. The strikes have caused one of the most significant disruptions to Saudi Arabia’s aviation sector in years, adding to the impact of the wider Middle East conflict.
According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, 99.7 percent of scheduled flights at Riyadh airport were cancelled on Sunday. Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 also showed no aircraft flying over the city.
The shutdown has prompted airlines across Europe and Asia to suspend services to Saudi Arabia. The United States (US) Federal Aviation Administration advised American carriers on Sunday to exercise caution when flying to or over the Kingdom, citing safety risks.
Lufthansa Group has cancelled all flights to Riyadh until October 16, while Air France-KLM has extended its suspension of services to and from the Saudi capital until the end of October.
Etihad Airways has also extended cancellations affecting around 20 flights to Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam on Monday and Tuesday.
The escalation has raised concerns about the wider economic impact on Saudi Arabia. The country’s real gross domestic product is projected to contract by 3.6 percent this year, reflecting several factors, including reduced oil activity.
The attacks have also put major events scheduled in Riyadh this month under pressure, including the Kingdom’s flagship investment conference and the World Petroleum Council (WPC) Energy Congress.
