RIYADH — October 10, 2026.
Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority confirmed on Friday that three Saudi citizens were killed — including a captain of the national airline Saudia — in two attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, as Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the strikes.
The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said in a statement posted on X that the attacks were carried out on Thursday, with the first targeting airport facilities and the second striking a Saudia aircraft. Several people of different nationalities were also wounded, with injuries ranging from minor to severe, the authority said, adding that the attacks caused material damage and that the wounded had been taken to hospitals for treatment.
Two Attacks in a Day
The GACA statement did not identify who was behind the strikes, but Houthi military spokesmen said on Thursday that the group had fired missiles toward King Khalid Airport, claiming they had hit their intended targets and disrupted air traffic. The Iran-aligned group also claimed strikes on an airport in the southwestern city of Najran and an airbase in Khamis Mushait — claims Saudi authorities have not confirmed.
Saudia separately confirmed that one of its aircraft sustained damage while on the ground at the airport. The airline said no passengers were aboard the plane at the time, and that authorities were assessing the damage and implementing measures to ensure passenger safety.
Pilot Named in Saudia Obituary
On Friday, Saudia published an obituary identifying the slain pilot as Captain Hamoud Ali Al-Kalthami, a captain with the Saudi flag carrier who lost his life in the incident at King Khalid International Airport. The airline paid tribute to the captain and recognised his service to the national carrier.
Thursday’s attacks were the deadliest in the kingdom since Saudi Arabia and its allied forces launched a renewed offensive against the Houthis in Yemen earlier this year, according to regional media reports. They followed a deadly week for Saudi aviation: the aviation authority said on Wednesday that earlier strikes had killed three civilians and injured 36 at Abha airport in the southwest and at King Khalid airport in Riyadh, while at least three more people were wounded in attacks on airports in Jazan and Najran.
Airport Returns to Normal
By Friday, operations at King Khalid International Airport were returning to normal. State-run Al Ekhbariya TV said passenger movement at the airport was “flowing smoothly,” with operational services restored and air traffic back to normal. The broadcaster said the rapid restoration reflected the readiness of the airport’s infrastructure and the flexibility of Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation system in handling exceptional circumstances.
The attacks have deepened the crisis for Gulf aviation. Flight-tracking data showed hundreds of cancellations across the region this week, and several international carriers suspended services to Riyadh. On Friday, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency widened its Saudi airspace warning, saying recent attacks had demonstrated the Houthis’ ability and intent to strike targets deeper inside Saudi territory, including the Riyadh, Tabuk, Medina and Yanbu areas.
Coalition Retaliation
The Saudi-led coalition has vowed that the strikes will not go unanswered. Coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki said on Saturday that the joint forces were carrying out a “large-scale operation” against Houthi military targets, adding that 136 targets in areas controlled by the Iran-backed group had been destroyed. Houthi media reported that coalition missiles struck areas in the northwestern governorate of Saada, and said two people were killed in strikes on the airport in the Houthi-held capital Sanaa.
The Houthis have warned aviation companies to avoid Saudi airspace, saying any aircraft operating there — except over the holy cities of Mecca and Medina — is a target, raising the prospect of further attacks on the kingdom’s airports in the days ahead.
[…] strike was the third Houthi attack on the hub in a single week. Earlier attacks on Thursday killed four people, including a Saudia pilot, and badly damaged an […]