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Houthis Claim Responsibility for Riyadh Airport Attacks
Confirmed
In Short: Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for attacks on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, killing three people including a pilot.
Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for attacks on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, killing three people including a pilot, according to reports by Newswire (Sri Lanka) and Oman Observer (Oman).
Arabnews (Saudi Arabia) reported that the attacks targeted airport facilities and a Saudia aircraft, while Newswire (Sri Lanka) noted that debris from a missile damaged a kindergarten and a medical complex.
According to Newswire (Sri Lanka), Saudia Airlines confirmed the death of Captain Hamoud Ali Alkalthami, while Arabnews (Saudi Arabia) stated that the airline's flights and operations had resumed by 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 8, 2026.
Both Arabnews (Saudi Arabia) and Newswire (Sri Lanka) reported that Saudia Airlines suspended operations temporarily, with some airlines like Air India and Lufthansa also suspending flights to Riyadh.
AeroTime and Aerotime reported that 169 of the airport’s 378 scheduled departures were canceled or did not operate on the day of the attacks, while several international carriers suspended services to Riyadh.
The Saudi-led coalition intercepted two ballistic missiles over Riyadh, according to reports by Arabnews (Saudi Arabia), Kuwait Times, and Aerospace Global News.
GACA, the General Authority of Civil Aviation, stated that the attacks violated humanitarian principles and international conventions, calling for serious international action and decisive measures to deter the Houthis.
According to Arabnews (Saudi Arabia), the Indian Embassy later said Air India had suspended operations through Saturday, while the Lufthansa Group said its airlines would suspend flights to Riyadh through October 16.
The attacks follow earlier strikes on Riyadh and Abha airports on October 6 and 7, 2026, which killed three people and injured 36, as reported by AeroTime and Minute Mirror (Pakistan).
The incident at King Khalid International Airport marks the deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia since the kingdom and allied forces launched a major offensive against the Iran-backed Houthis last weekend, according to reports by The Killeen Daily Herald, WRAL, and The Guardian.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry condemned the attacks, stating that they flagrantly violate the most fundamental humanitarian principles and international covenants, as reported by Arabnews (Saudi Arabia).
The attacks have escalated tensions in the region, with the UAE Foreign Ministry calling the drone attack a flagrant violation of Saudi Arabia's sovereignty and a threat to its security and stability, as reported by Arabnews (Saudi Arabia).
What this adds
The sources have not established the exact number of casualties or the extent of damage to the airport facilities.
The reports agree that the attacks were claimed by the Houthi rebels and targeted Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, resulting in the death of a Saudia pilot and the suspension of some airline operations.
Background
A Palestinian man and four Israelis were killed in clashes in the West Bank, with multiple injuries reported.
Dawn (Pakistan) reported that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday, condemning the recent Houthi attacks against the Kingdom and describing them as “reckless actions” that threaten regional stability and peace.
What's confirmed
- The attack came after earlier strikes on Riyadh and Abha airports on October 6 and 7, 2026, which Saudi aviation authorities said killed three people and injured 36.
- According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, 169 of the airport’s 378 scheduled departures were canceled or did not operate that day, while several international carriers suspended services to the Saudi capital.
- The announcement follows reports by Reuters that a Saudia aircraft had sustained extensive damage and caught fire while parked at an airport terminal.
- The Saudi-led coalition noted that it had intercepted two ballistic missiles over Riyadh.
- “Saudia’s flights and operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh returned to normal as of 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 8, 2026. The airline continues to monitor flight schedules and communicate with passengers through its official channels,” the airline meanwhile said.
- Saudia said Captain Al-Kalthami lost his life on Thursday, October 8, 2026, in the incident at the airport.
- The airline also said one of its aircraft was damaged while on the ground at the airport, adding that there were no passengers on board the aircraft.
- The authority said one attack targeted airport facilities, while another struck a Saudia aircraft.
- Published: 12:52 PM, Oct 09, 2026 SHARE Riyadh: A Saudia Airlines pilot was killed and an aircraft was damaged in Riyadh airport on Thursday, the company said on Friday, following strikes targeting the facility that were claimed by Yemen's Houthis.
- "It is with profound sadness that Saudia announces the passing of Captain Hamoud Ali Alkalthami," the Saudi flag-carrier said in a statement, citing an "incident" at King Khalid International Airport.
- The Saudi statements said activities at the airport in Riyadh have returned to normal, but some airlines have suspended flights there.
- Saudi aviation authorities say three Saudi citizens including a pilot were killed and several other people wounded in two attacks Thursday that were claimed by Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
What's still developing
- “The Authority affirms the ongoing work – in integration and continuous coordination with relevant security agencies – to assess damages and take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of passengers and workers, and to maintain the security and safety of the civil aviation system in the Kingdom, noting the resumption of operational processes at the airport and the return of air traffic to normal,” GACA said.
- The operation could begin within weeks and would be led by Yemeni forces overseen by Riyadh, with support from Saudi airstrikes, according to six people familiar with the preparations.
- On Tuesday, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said his country’s intelligence community had determined that a drone discovered at the airport was consistent with Russian technology.
- The Houthi military's spokesman Yahya Saree said in a statement on X that fighters had targeted the sites with ballistic missiles and drones, and that "both operations successfully achieved their objectives".
- PIA spokesperson Abdullah Hafiz Khan announced the suspension on Friday, advising passengers to check their flight status before travelling to the airport.
- Ami Yogev, an Israeli hiker who went missing several weeks ago, has been found dead on Mount Olympus in Greece, according to Greek media.
- The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye have discussed arrangements for an urgent meeting of the three countries' chiefs of staff to consider ways to support Saudi Arabia under the Mecca defence agreement, the Saudi Gazette reported.
- A flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday after one pilot stabbed the other and "apparently tried to crash the plane", Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said.
- The market is now fully braced for Brent crude to trade above $100/barrel on a sustained basis." "Saudi Arabia has halted operations at several southern energy facilities after attacks triggered fires and caused injuries, escalating risks to regional oil supply.
- LNG Tankers Push Through Hormuz Again as Qatar, UAE Fight Supply Crunch What I Cover Tsvetana Paraskova is an energy and commodities journalist who has contributed to Oilprice.com for nearly a decade, covering global energy markets, commodities,… Oil prices continued to rise early on Tuesday, rallying by 1.7% in Asian trade, as the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen are expanding their control over the west coast along the Red Sea, while the attacks on a key Saudi onshore oil pipeline triggered concerns about additional disruptions to already severely disrupted oil supply from the Middle East.
- Saudi Arabia is preparing for a possible military operation against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement to reverse the group’s recent gains around the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait, regional and Western officials told Reuters.
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