RIYADH — Monday, October 26, 2026: Yemen’s Houthis said they launched a fresh strike on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Sunday, just hours after Saudi Arabia partially reopened the airport following a two-week closure, vowing the facility would “never be safe” for airlines and travellers.
The claim, made by Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree, came as the airport tried to return to limited operations for the first time since an attack on October 10 that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300. Saudi authorities had not commented on the new airport claim at last check, according to international reports, and the Houthi assertion could not be independently verified.
Airport reopens, but few flights move
Saudi authorities said two terminals resumed operations on Sunday. Terminal 1 was designated for domestic flights, while Terminal 2 was assigned to international services operated by national carriers, state media reported.
Flight-tracking data, however, told a quieter story. Tracking website Flightradar24 showed only limited traffic at the airport on Sunday, despite scheduled arrivals from Dubai, Paris and Cairo, according to reports. Most scheduled flights appeared cancelled, leaving the reopening partial in practice as well as in name.
‘Never be safe’: the Houthi warning
Saree said the Houthis had carried out three military operations using dozens of ballistic missiles, claiming the strike on the airport had “achieved its target”. He described King Khalid Airport as still a military target and urged airlines, airport staff and passengers not to use it.
The group also said it had targeted King Khalid Air Base in Khamis Mushait, a naval base in Jazan and the kingdom’s east-west crude oil pipeline. Saudi authorities have not confirmed those claims.
The warning directly targets confidence in the reopening. Airlines had already suspended or curtailed Riyadh services during the closure, and a fresh threat — confirmed or not — gives carriers another reason to keep schedules thin while they assess the risk.
Coalition says missiles intercepted
The Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted a wave of missiles and drones on Sunday. Coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Maliki said air defences intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched towards Riyadh, according to reports.
The coalition also said two drones and one ballistic missile were launched towards Riyadh, and one cruise missile was fired at Khamis Mushait. It later reported intercepting 10 ballistic missiles fired towards southern Saudi Arabia, state media reported. Shrapnel from interceptions over Khamis Mushait and Ahad Rafidah injured two people and damaged residential buildings and vehicles, Saudi civil defence officials said.
US warning hangs over travel
The fresh claim lands days after the United States ordered non-emergency government personnel and eligible family members to leave Saudi Arabia, effective October 23, citing escalating Houthi missile and drone attacks on civilian airports and critical infrastructure.
US personnel now need special authorisation to use any Saudi airport, the US mission said, warning that hostilities could escalate rapidly. For travellers, the practical advice is unchanged: check flight status directly with airlines and airports before heading out, and expect schedules to change at short notice.
Whether the reopening holds will depend less on the repaired terminals than on whether airlines and passengers trust that the next claim will not shut Riyadh’s skies again.
[…] RIYADH — October 25, 2026. Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport resumed flight operations on Sunday after a two-week closure brought on by repeated Houthi strikes on the Saudi capital, reopening its terminals even as the Yemeni group warned airlines that the airport remains a target. […]