Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport stayed shut on Sunday, a day after an assault that killed 12 people and wounded 309, some critically. The Saudi-led coalition attributed the attack to the Iran-backed Houthis and promised a decisive response, while the Houthis renewed their warning to airlines, airport staff and travellers to avoid Saudi airports, which they described as still vulnerable.
US President Donald Trump, asked on Saturday whether Washington would join Saudi strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, told reporters: "We may. We're going to look at it." He stopped short of announcing a decision, later saying Saudi Arabia was capable of defending itself and calling the airport attack "terrible".
Among the dead were four Saudi citizens and eight foreign nationals, including an American. In a separate incident, the coalition said a projectile landed near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on Saturday.
European and international condemnation
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday called the strike a "dangerous escalation" and expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia. "These attacks by Iran's proxies are pushing the region into a spiral of violence," she said, warning of the risk to international transport and energy infrastructure.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attack in a statement issued on Saturday: "Attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure are a violation of international law. These attacks must cease immediately." Qatar described the strike as a violation of Saudi sovereignty and a threat to civilians and aviation safety, while UN envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg warned on Sunday that the attacks endangered regional security and further complicated efforts to secure peace in Yemen.
The episode follows a pattern of escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi airports that has already forced European carriers to adjust their schedules.
Flights suspended and airspace warnings widened
Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 said the airport's closure had been extended until midnight local time at the start of Monday, 12 October. Saudi aviation authorities have not confirmed when flights will resume. A senior aviation source told AFP that operators were informed at dawn that flights would remain suspended; a second source said radar and communications equipment had been damaged and runways needed assessment.
Etihad Airways cancelled six flights between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh on Sunday and a further return service on Monday. Emirates also cancelled Riyadh flights on Sunday and Monday, according to The National. Lufthansa Group had already suspended flights to Riyadh through 16 October following attacks earlier in the week, and SriLankan Airlines halted its Riyadh services until 18 October, citing the security incident and ongoing safety assessments.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency widened its warning on Friday to cover more Saudi airspace, pointing to risks to civilian aircraft from missile and drone attacks, air defence activity and falling debris. The airport has urged passengers to check with their airlines before travelling there.
The disruption also reached the Saudi capital's schools. An email sent to parents on Sunday, seen by AFP, said schools would switch to remote learning for the week under instructions from the education ministry.
For European governments, the crisis sharpens a familiar dilemma: how to protect aviation and energy supply chains from a conflict that shows no sign of containment, while avoiding direct entanglement in a widening regional confrontation. The EU's aviation regulator has already taken a precautionary stance, and further restrictions on Saudi airspace could follow if the security picture deteriorates.
