Attacked multiple times! Saudi Arabia's capital airport closure extended to Saturday, severely impacting aviation industry

Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, has been under continuous attack, including on Saturday and Sunday by the Yemeni rebel Youth Movement (Houthi), causing a large number of casualties. In response to the attacks in recent days, King Khalid International Airport has also extended its closure until Saturday (17th), and airlines have also canceled flights. The escalating conflict has also ignited concerns about the expansion of the economic impact.

According to comprehensive media reports, the Yemen Youth Movement (Houthis) allied with Iran has continued to launch attacks. King Khalid International Airport has been closed since the attack on the 10th. The attack on that day killed 13 people and injured more than 300 people. Another attack the next day (11th) also killed one person and injured nearly 12 people.

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Due to the attacks in recent days, the authorities decided to extend the closure of the airport to the 17th. The flight cancellation rate across Saudi Arabia has reached 46.4%, and flights have experienced large-scale delays or cancellations. This is also one of the most serious impacts that the Saudi Arabian aviation industry has suffered in recent years.

According to aviation analysis company Cirium, the flight cancellation rate at all airports in Saudi Arabia reached 46.4%, and this data is a prediction of scheduled flights and is not the final statistics of actual canceled flights. The disruption also forced many European and Asian airlines to suspend services, and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also advised U.S. airlines to exercise caution when flying to or over Saudi Arabia.

In response to the successive attacks, the Saudi authorities have also stepped up their investigation into the reasons why the air defense system failed to effectively prevent some attacks. The Associated Press quoted two unnamed regional officials as saying that preliminary investigations believe that the attacker may first dispatch multiple drones to disperse or suppress air defense forces, and then launch cruise missiles and ballistic missiles. Different types of weapons are used in combination, making it more difficult for the air defense system to identify, track, and intercept.