Houthis warn airlines to avoid Saudi airports after Riyadh attack kills 12

Yemen's Houthis warned airlines, travellers and airport workers on 11 October 2026 to stay away from Saudi airports and airspace. The warning came a day after a strike on Riyadh's international airport killed 12 people and wounded more than 300 others, the deadliest such attack in the kingdom in more than a decade, as fighting between the Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces escalated.straitstimes.com+1

The warning matters because it extends the conflict's reach from the battlefield to civilian aviation across one of the Gulf's busiest air corridors. The Houthi statement tells airlines and travellers broadly that Saudi airports and airspace are exposed, while exempting the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. It follows a surge in Houthi attacks on Saudi airports, military sites and oil infrastructure during the week.dw.com

What the warning says

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree posted the warning on X, saying the Yemeni armed forces renewed their warning to all aviation and navigation companies, experts, staff, workers and travellers against using Saudi airports and airspace. He said the airports and airspace are exposed to targeting and constitute a theatre of operations for Houthi forces, with the exception of the airports of Mecca and Medina. Saree urged everyone to take the warnings seriously and said Saudi Arabia bore responsibility for failing to intercept the missiles that struck the airport.straitstimes.com

Saudi officials blamed the Houthis for the 10 October attack, though the group has not formally claimed responsibility. The Saudi-led coalition vowed a tough response, calling the strike a fully-fledged war crime. Coalition spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Maliki said the strike targeted a passenger terminal, causing civilian casualties, and called it a violation of international humanitarian law. He said the coalition's Joint Forces Command would respond firmly in line with international humanitarian law.

The casualty figures come from Saudi authorities and the General Authority of Civil Aviation, as reported by Saudi Gazette. The 12 dead included four Saudi citizens, two Bangladeshis, and one national each from the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan. More than 300 people were wounded. The 10 October strike was the third on Riyadh's airport in a week; two earlier attacks killed four people and heavily damaged a Saudi commercial plane parked on the tarmac.

Where the numbers came from

Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport was temporarily closed after the attack. Air traffic monitor Flightradar24 said the closure was extended until at least 9 p.m. on 11 October. Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority said airport operations were suspended pending damage and safety assessments, without specifying when flights would resume. The Saudi-led coalition said a projectile also fell near King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on 10 October and reported intercepting a drone in the region on 11 October.

Despite the closure, planned events in Riyadh continued. The five-day WPC Energy Congress opened at a convention centre about 10 km from the airport, with state TV reporting more than 70 ministers, 300 company executives and representatives of over 25 international energy organisations confirmed to attend; it was unclear whether participants would attend in person or virtually. A ministerial meeting of the International Energy Forum also proceeded on 11 October, with its plenary session behind closed doors. Saudi authorities moved in-person classes to remote learning from 11 October until 15 October.

US President Donald Trump said on 10 October that the United States was considering joining Saudi strikes on the Houthis, saying "We may. We're going to look at it soon." European leaders responded on 11 October: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU stands in solidarity with Saudi Arabia and condemned the dangerous escalation, while German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul called it a terrorist act against Saudi Arabia and civil aviation.

What happens next

The next dated development is the continuation of the WPC Energy Congress, a five-day event, and the International Energy Forum ministerial meeting in Riyadh. Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority has not given a date for resuming flights at King Khalid International Airport, and the coalition has said its response to the 10 October strike will come in line with international humanitarian law.