King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh has partially resumed commercial flight operations following a two-week suspension caused by a deadly Houthi drone and missile strike that killed 13 people and injured more than 300.
The phased resumption commenced on Sunday, 25 October 2026, operating at restricted capacity rather than full operational capability. Under the interim arrangement, Terminal 1 has reopened exclusively for domestic routes, whilst Terminal 2 has resumed processing international departures and arrivals operated solely by Saudi national carriers. Airport authorities have urged passengers with confirmed bookings to liaise directly with airlines to verify schedules before travelling to the terminals.
The decision to restore operations was reached after extensive technical evaluations and security assessments conducted by Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) alongside national security agencies to verify structural integrity following the 10 October strikes. State broadcasters AlEkhbariya and Al Arabiya broadcast live footage from inside the concourses on Sunday to demonstrate that passenger handling systems and safety infrastructure had met baseline operational criteria.
The reopening has been overshadowed by immediate threats from Yemen’s Houthi movement. In a statement released shortly after flights resumed, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree designated King Khalid International Airport a legitimate “military target” and declared the facility unsafe for civilian aviation, warning international airlines, passengers, and airport personnel to steer clear of the site. Saree added that offensive operations against the installation would persist, asserting that Saudi authorities bear full responsibility for passenger safety.
The strikes on Riyadh’s aviation hub represent a significant military escalation following the formal collapse in July 2026 of the UN-negotiated truce established in 2022, reigniting cross-border ballistic and unmanned aerial attacks against critical commercial and energy infrastructure across the kingdom.
