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Riyadh Airport Targeted as Houthi Missile Campaign Escalates
The Houthis say a missile hit King Khalid International Airport on Thursday. Saudi Arabia says it intercepted the missiles. Flights from Riyadh have been cut across the board.
By Patrick Karsh, Founder, Lounge Frog ·
Page updated October 2026.
This is a developing story. It was last updated Thursday evening, October 8, 2026. Some claims have not been confirmed.
A video shared on X on Thursday afternoon claims to show the moment King Khalid International Airport (RUH) in Riyadh was struck. The attack was claimed by Yemen's Houthi movement. The five-second clip was posted by the account Military Media (@hehe_samir), which credits another user. We could not confirm when or where it was filmed. But the attack it claims to show did take place. Thursday was the third day in a row that Houthi forces have targeted Saudi airports.
What happened Thursday
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said a missile hit the Riyadh airport. He said it caused damage and disrupted air traffic. Saudi Arabia did not confirm a strike on the airport. It also did not report any damage or casualties there. Al Jazeera said it could not verify the Houthi claim.
The Saudi-led coalition gave a different account. Spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki said coalition forces destroyed three ballistic missiles. Two were aimed at Riyadh and one at Khamis Mushait, near the Yemeni border. The coalition also said it destroyed a launch site in Sanaa used for attacks on the Saudi capital.
Witnesses told the Associated Press they heard several blasts across the city. They said one at the airport halted departures, and passengers were told to leave. Saudi civil defense said debris from an intercepted missile damaged a kindergarten and a medical clinic. No injuries from the debris were reported.
Disputed footage
Videos said to show the strike have spread fast online, and some are in doubt. A widely shared post from the account @alMansourQasimi, viewed nearly 700,000 times, claims to show a fireball over the terminal. X users have proposed a reader note on it. The note cites Saudi Arabia's Anti-Rumors Authority, which says the camera footage is really from a June 2026 drone attack on Kuwait International Airport.
One aviation blog has also posted images it says show a destroyed Saudia Airbus at the airport. Saudi officials and the airline have not confirmed that report. We will not publish images of the attack until their source can be verified.
Three days of airport attacks
Thursday's attack followed Houthi strikes on the Riyadh and Abha airports on Tuesday and Wednesday. Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation said those attacks killed three civilians and injured 36. A drone attack on the Riyadh airport killed a Sudanese national and wounded eight. A strike on Abha airport in the southwest killed two residents, from Morocco and Algeria, and wounded 28.
The aviation authority has not blamed anyone. The coalition blamed the Houthis and said the attacks would not go unpunished.
The Riyadh airport has been a target before. On September 19, a fuel tank burned at a depot beside the airport after overnight air raid alerts.
Flights cut across the region
Air travel has been hit hard. Aviation data firm Cirium counted 169 cancellations out of 378 planned departures from Riyadh on Thursday, or almost 45%. More than 330 flights linked to the Saudi capital were canceled worldwide. Saudia was hit hardest, scrapping about 69% of its planned Riyadh departures.
Here is where major airlines stand:
- Lufthansa Group has suspended Riyadh flights through October 16.
- Air India and Air India Express have canceled Riyadh flights until October 10, with free rebooking or full refunds.
- Turkish Airlines, flydubai, Philippine Airlines and Akasa have canceled some Riyadh flights.
- Qatar Airways, Gulf Air, Etihad and Oman Air have reported delays or schedule changes.
- Flynas, flyadeal and Riyadh Air have also reported major disruption.
- Delta still plans to launch its new Atlanta to Riyadh nonstop on October 23. If you are booked, watch for changes.
The Houthis have warned airlines "for the last time" to stay out of Saudi airspace, except over Mecca and Medina. The US Embassy urged Americans in Saudi Arabia to stay alert and expect canceled flights and possible airspace closures. Diplomats were told to shelter in place.
If you are flying to or through Riyadh, check your flight status with your airline before you leave for the airport. Lounge access may also be limited while the airport runs a reduced schedule.
The wider war
The airport strikes are part of a sharp rise in fighting in Yemen, where the war flared up again in July. About a month ago, the Houthis seized land along the Red Sea coast and the Bab el-Mandeb strait. About 12% of global trade passes through that strait. Saudi and Yemeni government forces have since launched a major ground and air offensive. The coalition said this week it had retaken key areas around the strait.
Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War say the Houthis want to raise the cost of the war for Saudi Arabia by hitting civilian sites such as airports and oil facilities. With shipping through the Strait of Hormuz limited by the Iran war, Red Sea routes and Saudi infrastructure matter more.
Qatar, Oman and Egypt have condemned the airport attacks. The UN says more than 200,000 people have been displaced in Yemen since the fighting escalated.
Sources
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