What happened on Thursday

Two strikes hit King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Thursday, 8 October, according to Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation, which said one strike targeted airport facilities and the second struck a Saudia aircraft. Three Saudi citizens were killed and several people of different nationalities were wounded, with injuries described as ranging from minor to serious. Saudia Group identified one of the dead as Capt. Hamoud Ali Alkalthami, a pilot, and said its aircraft was damaged while on the ground with no passengers on board. Saudia later said operations at the airport had returned to normal. The Houthis claimed the attacks, with AP reporting they said they used a ballistic missile, while Reuters reported they said they had struck the airport with two cruise missiles. Saudi authorities also confirmed that debris from an intercepted missile hit a nursery and a health centre in Riyadh.

Airlines suspend and cancel flights

Lufthansa Group said its airlines would suspend flights to Riyadh through 16 October, while Air India suspended operations through Saturday and Pakistan International Airlines also halted Riyadh flights, according to AP. Etihad Airways cancelled six flights between Abu Dhabi and King Khalid International on Friday and two more planned for Saturday, citing operational disruption at Riyadh airport. flydubai said flights to Riyadh and Yanbu were cancelled up to and including 10 October, and flights to Abha up to and including 11 October. FlightAware counted hundreds of flights to and from Riyadh cancelled on Thursday, and Flightradar24 showed 131 flights cancelled by 13:05 GMT on Friday. King Khalid is Saudi Arabia's second-busiest airport after Jeddah, handling 296,800 flights in 2025, about 813 a day, according to the General Authority for Statistics. The US Embassy had warned citizens on Wednesday of potential airspace closures.

Aviation regulators widen warnings

EASA on Friday expanded the area of Saudi airspace where it recommends airlines not operate, updating a conflict zone information bulletin first issued on 30 September. The agency added an area in northwestern Saudi Arabia to the advisory and said recent attacks demonstrated the Houthis' ability and intent to strike targets deeper inside Saudi territory, including the capital. The agency warned of the risks these attacks pose to civil aviation.

These recurrent missile and drone attacks, together with the activation of air-defence systems, create an increased risk of misidentification of civil aircraft, as well as risks associated with missile and drone overflights, interception activity and falling debris.

OPSGROUP, a membership organisation with almost 10,000 aviation professionals, sent a "do not fly" warning for Saudi Arabia to its members on Friday, citing risks of sustained missile attacks and "misjudgment" in defensive responses. Its memo, shared with Reuters, went further.

We now recommend avoiding operations in Saudi Arabia entirely, including the use of Saudi airports as en route alternates.

The Houthis had warned global airlines earlier this week "for the last time" about operating in Saudi airspace, which they described as a theater for their military operations.

Fighting in Yemen

The Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis said it had destroyed three rocket launch platforms used by the rebels. Coalition spokesperson Major General Turki al-Maliki said the platforms were destroyed and that Houthi attacks on civilians would be met with a "firm response". On Thursday the Houthis warned employees at Saudi oil facilities that oil installations remain a target. Fighting between the rebels and Yemeni government forces has run since the weekend, and new clashes have forced 200,000 people from their homes, according to Diario de Noticias. In recent weeks the Houthis captured a wide swath of territory giving them greater control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, while the coalition has recaptured several areas along the strait.