Saudi Arabia has extended the closure of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh following Saturday’s Yemeni attack on the facility. According to Mehr News Agency, a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) issued by Saudi civil aviation authorities said the airport would stay closed until 21:00 GMT on Sunday, though Saudi authorities had not formally announced the extension.
Riyadh airport closure disrupts hundreds of flights
Citing Flightradar24 data, the UAE daily The National reported that 606 flights to and from Riyadh were cancelled on Sunday, including 293 departures and 313 arrivals. Etihad Airways confirmed eight cancellations across Sunday and Monday, while Emirates, flydubai and Air Arabia services to the Saudi capital were also listed as cancelled. According to Al Masirah, the US mission in Saudi Arabia advised American citizens to avoid the airport and surrounding areas, and the Canadian, German and Spanish embassies issued similar warnings.
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said Saturday’s attack killed 12 people and injured 309. The resumption of operations depends on damage assessments and safety checks at the airport.
Read More: Yemeni Missile Lands Near Dammam Airport; Riyadh Toll at 12
A Wall Street Journal admission, and a warning from Sanaa
Al Masirah reported that The Wall Street Journal, citing informed sources, said Saudi officials are increasingly worried that the war on Yemen could damage the kingdom’s economy, and are also concerned about shortages of interceptor missiles. The report cited the geopolitical risk firm Dragonfly as saying Saudi Arabia appeared to be struggling to intercept the attacks and expected them to continue.
Sanaa says its declared air blockade will not be limited to Riyadh and could extend to other airports, particularly Jeddah. Abdulqader al-Murtadha, head of Yemen’s National Committee for Prisoners’ Affairs, said the days when Yemen’s civilian airports could be bombed and blockaded without a comparable response were over, adding that Yemen is no longer what it was in 2015. Sanaa says the measures will remain until Saudi Arabia ends the aggression and blockade it began in March 2015.
Sources: Mehr News Agency, Al Masirah, The National
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