Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport resumed flights on Sunday after a two-week closure following Houthi strikes on the Saudi capital, with Terminal 1 designated for domestic flights and Terminal 2 handling international flights operated by Saudi national carriers.
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement responded by renewing its warning that the airport remains unsafe, cautioning all international, regional and local airlines, along with staff and travelers, against using the facility, which it described as a military target.
The warning follows an attack earlier this month that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300, the deadliest strike inside the kingdom in more than a decade, underscoring the severity of the threat the Houthis are reiterating as operations resume.
Passengers holding confirmed bookings have been advised to check their flight status directly with their airlines before traveling to the airport, reflecting the uncertainty still surrounding operations even as the facility formally reopens.
The decision to resume flights despite the renewed threat signals Saudi authorities' intent to restore normal airport operations, even as the Houthis continue to assert the capability and willingness to strike the facility again.
With the renewed warning coming just as service resumes, airlines and travelers are left weighing the kingdom's reopening against a militant group that has shown both the intent and recent capacity to carry out deadly attacks on the same target.
