Reuters: 45% of Departures from Saudi Airports Canceled in October
Key Facts
More than 7,800 flights, equivalent to 45% of all scheduled departures from Saudi airports, were canceled between October 8 and 25, according to a Reuters report based on data from Cirium. Cancellations peaked on October 12, when they exceeded 60% of scheduled flights nationwide. The figures provide a picture of travel disruption during that period, but do not represent the cancellation rate on November 9. At King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, about 86% of scheduled flights were canceled between October 8 and 25. Riyadh recorded 4,071 cancellations out of 4,736 scheduled flights, according to Cirium data cited by Reuters.
Cancellation rates varied across Saudi airports during the same period, reaching 42% in Dammam and 46.7% in Abha, Reuters reported. In Najran, near the Yemeni border, all flights were canceled during the period covered by the report. The figures show how disruption varied geographically, with Riyadh recording the highest rate among airports for which the report provided a specific figure. These comparisons were limited to October 8 to 25 and do not describe operations on November 9. The attacks in October targeted airports, ports and oil facilities with ballistic missiles and drones, according to the Reuters report.
Saudi authorities partially reopened King Khalid Airport on Sunday, October 25, after a shutdown that began on October 10, Reuters reported. Domestic flights resumed from Terminal 1, while national carriers were allowed to operate international flights from Terminal 2. The partial resumption came at the end of the cancellation period tracked by Cirium data, after Riyadh recorded 4,071 cancellations out of 4,736 scheduled flights. The report did not give a figure for the share of flights canceled after the partial reopening. On October 12, the General Authority of Civil Aviation said it had extended the suspension of operations until safety checks on the airport’s facilities and operational readiness were completed.
Flight disruptions in Riyadh also affected event schedules, Reuters reported, saying several events were canceled or postponed, including Saudi Arabia’s annual investment conference. The report linked this to disrupted access to the capital during the cancellation period, without specifying an impact on the regional tourism sector. At the company level, Delta announced on October 12 that it was postponing the launch of its planned Atlanta-Riyadh service to March 2027. Reuters also reported that Lufthansa Group airlines canceled all flights to and from Riyadh through November 18. Air France-KLM extended its suspension of services to the capital through November 7, according to the same report.
In a later security development, the Saudi-led coalition said its defenses intercepted two ballistic missiles and two cruise missiles targeting Riyadh and other areas on the morning of Sunday, November 8, and accused the Houthis of launching them, the Associated Press reported. The Houthis had announced on October 26 that they had again targeted Riyadh airport, describing it as a "military target," Reuters reported. These developments followed the airport’s partial reopening on October 25, while the detailed cancellation data available in the Reuters report covered only the period through that date. Those data do not measure the share of flights canceled on November 9. Reuters reports cited announced dates for the suspension of some flights, including Lufthansa Group airlines’ continued cancellations through November 18 and Delta’s postponement of its service to March 2027.