Flight operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh were hit by major delays and cancellations after a Houthi-claimed attack on Saudi Arabia triggered flames and a large plume of black smoke near the airport. Air traffic data showed disruption levels rising sharply before services began to recover, while the airport was not reported to have been closed for an extended period.
The Saudi-led coalition intercepted a ballistic missile fired towards Riyadh, and the Houthi movement said it had targeted the Saudi capital with missiles and drones. The fire was reported near a fuel depot close to the airport, although the precise cause was not immediately established.
The incident followed overnight air-raid alerts and a brief period of heightened security warnings in Riyadh and nearby Al-Kharj. The disruption focused on the operational impact at Saudi Arabia’s main airport, where passengers faced prolonged delays as flights were held, diverted or cancelled before normal activity resumed.