4,071 flights canceled at Riyadh's King Khalid Airport since mid-October

The sky above Riyadh has remained largely empty for the past two weeks. According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, 4,071 out of 4,736 scheduled flights at King Khalid International Airport were canceled between October 8 and October 25. This accounts for approximately 86% of the total scheduled traffic during that period.

The disruption began in earnest on October 10. Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis launched a missile and drone attack that killed 13 people, marking the deadliest incident in Saudi Arabia in over a decade. Following that strike, authorities halted operations at the airport, which serves as the second-busiest hub in the kingdom after Jeddah.

Saudi officials partially reopened the facility on Sunday. Domestic flights resumed from Terminal 1, while national carriers were authorized to handle international services from Terminal 2. The restoration of service lasted only a day. On Monday, the Houthis announced they had targeted the airport again, labeling it a military objective.

The strikes have forced major carriers to pull back. International airlines have suspended routes to the Saudi capital through November. Delta Air Lines has delayed the launch of its own Riyadh service until next year. The cancellations have extended beyond the capital, affecting the entire national network. Cirium data indicates that more than 7,800 flights, or 45% of all scheduled departures from Saudi airports, were canceled between October 8 and October 25.

Cancellations peaked on October 12, when more than 60% of flights nationwide were grounded. The impact varies by location. Dammam saw 42% of its flights canceled, while Abha, which has also faced claimed strikes, lost 46.7%. In Najran, a smaller airport near the Yemeni border, every scheduled flight was scrapped.

The travel freeze has spilled over into the economic sector. Several events in Riyadh have been canceled or postponed due to the difficulty of moving passengers and delegates. Among the affected gatherings is Saudi Arabia's primary investment conference, which has been pushed back as organizers grapple with the ongoing airspace restrictions.

The Houthis have intensified their campaign against Saudi infrastructure in recent weeks, targeting airports, ports, and oil facilities. The current state of the airport reflects the continued pressure from these ballistic missile and drone attacks. With international carriers holding back and domestic routes only partially active, the full restoration of the schedule remains dependent on the pace of the strikes.