Saudi Arabia's capital airport extends closure, aviation industry faces severe impact

The Yemeni Youth Movement (Houthis), which is allied with Iran, continues to launch attacks, and there are no flights over Riyadh. Authorities extended the closure of King Khalid International Airport until Saturday and airlines canceled flights.

Reuters reported that King Khalid International Airport is the second busiest airport in Saudi Arabia after Jeddah. The Saudi Arabian Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement that the suspension of operations is to complete relevant procedures to ensure the safety and operational readiness of airport facilities.

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The youth movement said late on Monday it had attacked the airport with ballistic missiles, while Saudi Arabia earlier said it had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired by the group towards Riyadh.

The youth movement said in a separate statement that it used drones to attack an air base in Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia has not yet confirmed this.

According to a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued on Monday, King Khalid International Airport will be closed until 9pm GMT on October 17.

The airport has been closed since the attack on the 10th, which killed 13 people and injured more than 300 people. It was the deadliest attack by Saudi Arabia in more than 10 years. Another attack on the 11th killed one person and injured nearly 12 others.

The attacks are among the worst hits to the Saudi aviation industry in recent years. The industry is already suffering from conflicts across the Middle East. Rising aviation fuel prices have eroded profits, adding to the pressure from attacks and raising concerns that the civil aviation industry may become a target of armed conflict.

Cirium, an aviation analysis company, said that the flight cancellation rate at all airports in Saudi Arabia reached 46.4%. The disruption forced many airlines in Europe and Asia to suspend services. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) advised U.S. airlines to exercise caution when flying to or over Saudi Arabia on the 11th. As early as the 9th, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) expanded the scope of warnings against Saudi Arabia's airspace due to missile and drone attacks.

The report pointed out that the rising conflict with the youth movement has also ignited concerns about a widening economic impact. Saudi Arabia’s real gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to shrink by 3.6% this year, due to factors including a reduction in oil-related activities.

The impact has also affected events scheduled to be held in Riyadh this month, including the Future Investment Initiative and the WPC Energy Congress, which has seen several oil industry executives withdraw from the agenda. (Compiled by: Li Jing)