Saudi Airlines mourns one of its employees and announces that its plane was damaged in the recent attack on King Khalid Airport

(CNN) - Saudi Airlines issued a statement announcing that one of its employees was killed and one of its aircraft was damaged in the targeting of King Khalid International Airport in the capital, Riyadh, on Thursday.

The Saudi Airlines statement said: “Saudi Airlines clarifies that the incident that occurred at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh resulted in the martyrdom of one of its employees, expressing its sincere condolences to the martyr’s family.”

Saudi Airlines added in its statement: “The accident also resulted in damage to one of its aircraft while it was on the airport grounds without guests on board at the time of the accident.”

The company continued in its statement by saying that it activated "immediately after the incident occurred, emergency response procedures in coordination with the competent authorities to deal with its repercussions, follow up on the conditions of those affected, and provide the necessary care and support for them and their families."

“Saudi Arabia” added in its statement by saying: “On the operational level, by the grace of God, Saudia’s flights and operational operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh have returned to normal as of six o’clock in the evening on Thursday, October 8, 2026, while continuing to follow flight schedules and communicate with guests through its official channels.”

In a later statement, the company mourned the pilot of the plane, Captain Hamoud bin Ali Al-Kalthami, who was killed in the recent attack, and offered condolences to his family.