Saudi Arabia extends Riyadh airport shutdown through Oct 17

Saudi aviation officials on Monday extended the closure of King Khalid International Airport (RUH) until Oct 17 following a spate of fatal missile and drone strikes against the capital’s main airport.

The official Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) prolongs the suspension of flight activities as civil aviation inspectors and security agencies evaluate the damage and take steps to restore airspace safety in the region.

“The shutdown impacts around 700 flights per day,” Flightradar24 reported on X.

The decision comes after a weekend of increasing violence, including a strike by the Houthis on Saturday that killed 13 people and injured more than 300 and another strike on Sunday that killed one.

The Saudi-led coalition fighting Yemen’s Houthis said Monday it had destroyed ballistic missiles launched by the Iran-aligned group as violence between the two sides continued.