Houthi attacks ground 86% of flights at Riyadh airport

Cirium: Cirium is a leading aviation analytics firm that tracks flight schedules, cancellations, and long-term fleet trends for the global airline industry. It recently published its annual fleet forecast projecting substantial growth in passenger and freighter aircraft through 2045 despite supply constraints. The firm supplied the cancellation data cited in the news regarding Saudi airports during the Houthi attacks. Houthi: The Houthi movement, also known as Ansar Allah, is an Iran-aligned Zaydi Shia militant group based in Yemen that controls the capital Sanaa and participates in the Yemeni civil war. The group has intensified cross-border strikes on Saudi targets including airports, ports, and oil infrastructure following the collapse of a 2022 UN-brokered truce. In the current news, Houthi attacks on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport and other Saudi sites have caused widespread flight cancellations across the kingdom. Saudi Arabia: Saudi Arabia is a Gulf kingdom and major oil producer whose territory has come under repeated Houthi missile and drone strikes targeting civilian and energy infrastructure. Authorities have responded with coalition strikes on Houthi positions in Yemen while managing partial reopening of affected airports. The reported event centers on how these attacks have severely disrupted aviation at Riyadh and other major Saudi airports. Delta Air Lines: Delta Air Lines is a major US carrier that had planned to launch the first nonstop US airline service to Saudi Arabia with a route from Atlanta to Riyadh. The airline has postponed the start of this service until March 2027 citing regional security developments and airport disruptions. The news highlights Delta's decision among broader international airline suspensions to the Saudi capital. Gianluca Lo Nostro: Gianluca Lo Nostro is a Reuters journalist based in Paris who covers business, technology, France's global competition, and the geopolitics of connectivity, including developments in the war in Ukraine. He has written extensively on international affairs and began his career in Milan. In the news, he is credited with reporting on the Houthi attacks and resulting flight groundings in Saudi Arabia. Aviation Disruption: International airlines have suspended services to Riyadh into November, with some carriers postponing new routes until 2027 amid repeated strikes on the airport. Conflict Escalation: Renewed fighting has shattered the 2022 UN-brokered truce between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen's internationally recognized government. Infrastructure Targeting: The Houthis have expanded strikes to include oil pumping stations, refineries, and pipelines in addition to multiple Saudi airports.