Riyadh, October 26 – Saudi authorities announced a partial reopening of Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, designating Terminal 1 for domestic flights and Terminal 2 for international flights by national carriers starting Sunday, despite renewed Houthi threats from Yemen. This follows a suspension earlier this month after attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthis targeting the facility.
Operations at the airport halted on October 10 following a Houthi-claimed strike that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300, the deadliest incident in Saudi Arabia in over a decade. The suspension was extended two days later, disrupting travel amid ballistic missile and drone assaults on Saudi airports, ports, and oil installations.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree stated the Riyadh airport remains a military target with operations set to continue, warning airlines, airport staffers, and travellers against using it. Such Houthi threats put pressure on the US ally Saudi Arabia into a key pressure point in the broader Yemen conflict.
Saudi Arabia has recently stepped up its military involvement in Yemen, launching strikes against the Houthis and backing a government counteroffensive after the group seized strategic territory along the Red Sea coast last month. The partial Riyadh airport reopening signals resilience but raises ongoing concerns over aviation safety and regional stability.