Saudia plane damaged in Houthi attacks at Riyadh airport, Saudi civil aviation confirms
Three Saudi nationals were killed and several people injured in two attacks on the airport
Riyadh: A Saudia aircraft was damaged after King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh was targeted in two attacks on Thursday, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) confirmed on Friday.
GACA said the first attack targeted airport facilities, while the second targeted an aircraft belonging to Saudi Arabian Airlines, known as Saudia.
Emergency teams and relevant authorities responded immediately and dealt with the attacks in accordance with established procedures and approved emergency plans, GACA said.
The attacks killed three Saudi nationals and injured several Saudi citizens and residents of different nationalities, with injuries ranging from minor to serious.
Those injured were taken to hospital for medical treatment. The attacks also caused material damage, the authority said.
The attacks come as Yemen’s Houthi movement escalated strikes against Saudi Arabia, with a ballistic missile attack reported at Riyadh airport.
Flights suspended
The disruption has affected air travel to the Saudi capital, with Lufthansa and Air India confirming the suspension of flights to Riyadh.
According to aviation analytics company Cirium, almost half of departures from the airport had been cancelled by 1500 GMT on Thursday, while a further 31 cancellations were expected on Friday across Saudi airports.
The latest disruption follows Saudi authorities saying on Wednesday that three people had been killed this week in strikes targeting Riyadh airport and Abha airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
Airspace disruption
The Houthis have escalated their campaign against Saudi Arabia, seeking to disrupt the kingdom’s airspace and warning workers to stay away from energy facilities, which they said would be targeted.
Separately, Saudi officials said debris from an intercepted missile struck a kindergarten and a medical complex in Riyadh.
The Houthis have said they are targeting Saudi Arabia because of its support for government forces in Yemen’s renewed civil war.
GACA said it was continuing to coordinate with the relevant security authorities to assess the damage and take all necessary measures to protect passengers and staff and maintain the safety of Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation system.
The authority said efforts were also under way to restore normal airport operations and return air traffic to normal.
