A Saudia Airlines passenger jet has been pictured in flames with thick black smoke pouring from it at Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, in Saudi Arabia, after the Houthi group claimed responsibility for an attack.
The aircraft caught fire while parked at a terminal amid a fresh wave of attacks on the country. Shrapnel from a missile or an interceptor is reported to have struck the commercial aircraft, causing significant damage.
Houthi claim and Saudi response
Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighbouring Yemen claimed responsibility for the attack on Riyadh's airport, saying a ballistic missile caused damage, but provided no evidence. The Saudis had no immediate comment about the claim.
The Houthis' military spokesman later said the group had fired additional ballistic and cruise missiles at airports in Riyadh and the southwestern city of Najran, claiming the attacks disrupted flights.
Flight disruptions and airline suspensions
More than 275 flights were cancelled at King Khalid International Airport, according to flight monitor FlightAware. The cancellations accounted for 40% of scheduled arrivals and 30% of scheduled departures.
Riyadh's airport "closed again," global flight-tracking service Flightradar24 said on X. It said the last landing was more than 80 minutes earlier and the last take-off more than 90 minutes earlier.
Airlines including Lufthansa and Air India have temporarily suspended operations to Saudi Arabia's capital. Lufthansa Group, the German company that owns Lufthansa Airlines and other European carriers, said its airlines will suspend flights to Riyadh through until October 16 "due to current developments in the Middle East."
Indian carriers suspend services
The Indian Embassy in Riyadh said in a series of posts on X that several Indian airlines had also suspended service. Air India said that, "in the interest of safety," a flight from Delhi to Riyadh earlier Thursday returned to Delhi and was subsequently cancelled, along with all service to and from Riyadh until Saturday.
"We are closely monitoring the situation," the airline said in a statement. Budget carrier Akasa Air said it was suspending flights to and from Riyadh through Saturday, while another low-cost carrier, IndiGo, said it was cancelling its Riyadh service through Friday.
