Saudi Arabia Extends Riyadh Airport Closure Amid Continued Ansarallah Attacks / These Attacks Have Caused One of the Most Significant Disruptions to Saudi Aviation in Recent Years / Rerouting Flights to Avoid Saudi Airspace Significantly Lengthens Trips and Restricts Access to Dubai and Abu Dhabi for Most Western Airlines

Saudi authorities extended the closure of Riyadh International Airport until Saturday, and airlines canceled their flights. The decision was made after continued attacks by Houthis in Yemen, a pro-Iran group, emptied the capital's skies of regular flights.

Reuters wrote: Saudi authorities have extended the closure of Riyadh International Airport until Saturday, and airlines have also canceled their flights. The decision was taken after continuous attacks by Yemen's Houthis, a pro-Iranian group, emptied the skies of the Saudi capital of normal flights.

According to the selection report, this article continues: The Saudi Civil Aviation Organization announced in a statement that the activities of King Khalid International Airport, the second busiest airport in the country after Jeddah Airport, have been suspended in order to "provide the necessary opportunity to complete the measures related to ensuring the safety and operational readiness of the airport facilities".

The Houthis announced late on Monday that they attacked the Riyadh airport with a ballistic missile. This claim was made shortly after Saudi Arabia announced that it intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile fired by this group towards Riyadh.

The Houthis also announced in a statement that they targeted an air base in Khamis Mushit, in southwestern Saudi Arabia, with a drone. Saudi officials did not immediately confirm the attack.

King Khalid International Airport will remain closed until 21:00 GMT on October 17, according to an aviation notice called "NOTAM" issued on Monday.

This airport has been closed since Saturday's attack; The attack that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300 people was the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade. In another attack on Sunday, one person was killed and nearly 12 others were injured.

These attacks have marked one of the most important disruptions in the Saudi aviation industry in recent years and have put more pressure on an industry that was already struggling with the consequences of conflicts throughout the Middle East and the increase in the price of airplane fuel, which reduces the profits of companies.

The attacks have also raised concerns about civilian aviation becoming a target in armed conflicts.

"This level of aggressive and sustained attacks against civil aviation is unprecedented," said Mark Zee, founder of OPSGROUP, a membership-based aviation safety advisory body.

He added: "I think this situation requires us to review our assessment of the current risk situation and proceed with great caution."

Data from flight tracking website FlightRadar24 showed that planes did not fly over Riyadh on Monday; However, planes continued to cross Saudi airspace and land in Jeddah, the country's main aviation hub on the West Coast.

The aviation data analysis company "Siriom" announced that the total flight cancellations in all Saudi airports reached 46.4%.

The crisis has overshadowed Saudi business prospects

This disruption has forced airlines in Europe and Asia to stop their flights. On Sunday, the US Federal Aviation Administration advised the country's airlines to be careful when flying to Saudi Arabia or crossing the country's airspace. The European Union's Aviation Safety Agency also expanded its warning on Saudi airspace on Friday, citing missile and drone attacks.

Aviation industry analyst John Strickland said: "The consequences of this situation go beyond Saudi Arabia and affect the entire region and its connections with the rest of the world."

OPSGROUP has advised airlines to completely avoid the Southern Air Corridor over the Middle East and choose a route over Central Asia for flights from Europe to Asia.

Zee said the rerouting would mean a "significant increase in distance" for some flights and would "limit options for entering Dubai and Abu Dhabi for most Western airlines".

Lufthansa Airlines, owned by the Lufthansa Group, has canceled all flights to Riyadh until October 16. Air France-KLM Group has also extended the suspension of flights to and from Riyadh until the end of this month.

Etihad Airways announced that it has canceled flights between Abu Dhabi and the cities of Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam due to "regional disturbances". The company added that all flights between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh will be canceled until October 19.

Qatar Airways also announced on Monday that due to the "current conditions", it has temporarily suspended flights to and from Riyadh and Dammam.

Delta Air Lines has announced that it is delaying the start of scheduled flights from Atlanta to Riyadh, scheduled to begin on October 23, until March 2027.

Escalating tensions with Ansarullah forces have raised concerns about broader economic consequences. Saudi Arabia's real GDP is expected to decrease by 3.6 percent this year; A forecast in which a combination of factors, including the reduction of oil activities, play a role.

These attacks have also made the events that are scheduled to be held in Riyadh this month face uncertainty and pressure. These events include Saudi Flagship Investment Conference and World Petroleum Council (WPC) Energy Congress; An event in which the names of several senior managers of the oil industry have been removed from its program.