Riyadh airport partially resumes flights after Houthi attacks

King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh resumed some flights on Sunday after a suspension lasting roughly two weeks following attacks by Yemen’s Houthi group.

Saudi broadcaster Al Arabiya reported the return of flights, airing footage from inside two terminals that had reopened.

The state-run AlEkhbariya television said Terminal 1 resumed operations for domestic flights, while Terminal 2 reopened for international flights operated by Saudi carriers.

The resumption followed intensive coordination between the General Authority of Civil Aviation and security and technical agencies to ensure the airport’s readiness and compliance with safety and security standards, it added.

The announced resumption covers only the two terminals, with no announcement of a return to full operating capacity.

Airport management did not issue a new statement on the resumption of flights, after a Saturday notice announcing the allocation of the two terminals for domestic and international services.

In the notice, the management had urged passengers with confirmed bookings to contact their airlines for the status of their reservations and flights before heading to the airport.

Flight operations were suspended following a Houthi attack on the airport on Oct. 10 that killed 13 people and injured more than 300.

Renewed Houthi threats

As flights resumed, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree renewed warnings to airlines, employees and passengers against using King Khalid International Airport.

The airport “is unsafe because it is a military target for our forces,” Saree said in a statement, warning that the group would continue operations against it.

He said Saudi authorities bore responsibility for reopening the airport and any resulting consequences.

Houthis, which have controlled Yemen's capital Sanaa and other regions since 2014, resumed fighting with Saudi-backed government forces in July, as a 2022 truce collapsed. Besides aviation, the group has also targeted Saudi energy sites.