'Except Mecca and Medina': Chaos across Saudi airports as Houthis claim Riyadh strikes

Saudi airports faced severe disruption after repeated attacks on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport and warnings from Yemen’s Houthi movement. The crisis mattered because airports, airlines, workers, and passengers were treated as being inside an active theatre of operations. Several airlines halted services, while Saudi authorities reported deaths and injuries.

The attacks were especially deadly at King Khalid airport. Saturday’s strike initially killed 12 people and injured 309, according to Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation. The death toll later reached 13 after an injured Indian national died. A separate Sunday attack killed a Pakistani resident and injured 11 others.

The disruption spread beyond Riyadh. Flightradar24 reported Riyadh and Dammam airports closed on Sunday. Lufthansa cancelled Riyadh flights until 16 October, while Air France-KLM extended its suspension through October. The Houthis claimed attacks on Riyadh, Dammam, and Saudi Aramco facilities.

The Houthis, officially called Ansar Allah, are a Yemen-based movement involved in a long-running conflict with Saudi Arabia and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government. The article presents their attacks as part of an escalating exchange of strikes. Their stated aim includes pressuring Saudi Arabia to lift its land, air, and sea blockade of territory under Houthi control.

The group has used missiles and drones against Saudi targets, according to the article. It claimed responsibility for attacks on Riyadh airport, Dammam airport, and Saudi Aramco facilities. Houthi-affiliated media also reported Saudi strikes on Sanaa airport that killed two people, after Houthi attacks on Riyadh reportedly killed three.

The conflict has become a cycle of retaliation. Saudi Arabia and its allies strike targets across Yemen, including civilian infrastructure, while the Houthis continue launching attacks toward the kingdom. The article says the Houthis describe their demand as “a blockade for a blockade,” making pressure and retaliation central to the conflict.

The airport crisis affected a large share of Saudi Arabia’s planned air travel. Cirium, cited by Reuters, reported that 99.7 percent of Riyadh airport’s flights were cancelled on Sunday. For Monday, about 60 percent of flights scheduled to depart Riyadh were expected to be cancelled. More than one-third of all planned flights nationwide were cancelled.

Jeddah also suffered major disruption. The airport cancelled 156 flights, equal to 20 percent of its scheduled services, while 374 flights, or 49 percent, were delayed. Flightradar24 reported that Riyadh and Dammam airports were closed on Sunday. Airlines including Lufthansa and Air France-KLM suspended Riyadh services.

The human toll was also severe. Saturday’s attack at King Khalid airport killed 12 people and injured 309. The death toll later rose to 13 after an injured Indian national died. A separate Sunday attack killed one Pakistani resident and injured 11 others, bringing reported injuries from both attacks to 320.

An unsafe airport or airspace can quickly disrupt the entire travel system. Airlines may stop flying there to protect passengers and crews, while authorities may close airports or restrict operations. Passengers then face cancellations, delays, missed connections, and uncertainty. The article also shows that warnings can affect flights even before every airport is formally closed.

The Saudi figures demonstrate the mechanism. Riyadh cancelled 99.7 percent of flights on Sunday, while about 60 percent of Monday departures were expected to be cancelled. Jeddah cancelled 156 flights and delayed 374. Lufthansa stopped Riyadh flights until 16 October, and Air France-KLM extended its suspension through October.

The consequences extend beyond individual travellers. Airlines lose routes and must reorganise aircraft and crews. Airports lose scheduled activity, while cargo and business travel can also be affected. The US Federal Aviation Administration advised American airlines to use caution in or over Saudi Arabia, showing how a conflict can influence international aviation decisions.

The Houthi warning was designed to deter airlines, workers, and travellers from using most Saudi aviation routes. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said Saudi airports and airspace were exposed to targeting and constituted a theatre of operations. Such a warning raises the perceived risk of flying, even for people not directly involved in the conflict.

In his statement, Saree specifically renewed warnings to aviation and navigation companies, experts, staff, workers, and travellers. He told them to take the warnings seriously and said Saudi Arabia would bear responsibility for failed interceptions. The warning covered Saudi airports and airspace, with one stated exception: airports serving Makkah and Madina.

The article does not state why Mecca and Medina were excluded. It only records the exception. In practice, the warning contributed to cancellations and airline suspensions elsewhere, while the conflict’s effect on flights to those cities is not described. The continuing threat could keep pressure on airlines and passengers unless the strikes stop.

The article describes the conflict as a cycle rather than an isolated airport attack. Saudi Arabia and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government have repeatedly struck areas across Yemen. Their attacks have hit civilian infrastructure, including airports. The Houthis respond by launching missiles and drones toward Saudi Arabia, keeping pressure on the kingdom.

The blockade is a central part of the dispute. Sanaa demands that Saudi Arabia lift its land, air, and sea blockade of Yemeni territory controlled by the Houthis. The group describes its demand as “a blockade for a blockade.” Houthi-affiliated media reported that Saudi strikes on Sanaa airport killed two people, after Houthi attacks on Riyadh airport reportedly killed three.

This pattern has produced escalating retaliation. The Saudi-led coalition called the deadly Riyadh attack a “full-fledged war crime,” while the Houthis continued claiming strikes on Saudi airports and Aramco facilities. The article says Saudi attacks have not prevented further launches, suggesting that military action has not broken the cycle.

In general, an airport attack can involve a missile or drone flying toward a target, while radar searches for and tracks the incoming object. An air-defence system then assesses the threat and may launch an interceptor. The goal is to destroy or divert the attacker before it reaches the airport. These systems can fail, which is why interception warnings matter.

The article gives only the broad outline. The Houthis claimed attacks on Riyadh and Dammam airports and warned that Saudi Arabia would bear responsibility for failed interceptions. The UK said it was supporting Saudi Arabia with air defences and air-to-air refuelling. The article does not name the missiles, drones, radar, or interceptor systems used.

The reported deaths and injuries show that interception may not prevent harm. Saturday’s Riyadh attack killed 13 people after one injured person later died, while a Sunday attack killed one person and injured 11. The FAA’s caution for American airlines shows that even uncertain interception outcomes can reshape air travel.