Saudi civil aviation extends suspension of operations at Riyadh airport

The Saudi civil aviation extended on Monday the suspension of operations at Riyadh airport in the wake of attacks against the capital's airport, Reuters reported.

The skies above the Saudi capital Riyadh were largely empty on Monday after deadly attacks by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis on the city's airport, with about 60% of scheduled flights expected to be cancelled, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.

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King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia's second-busiest airport after Jeddah, cancelled 99.7% of all scheduled flights on Sunday, Cirium data showed. More than a third of flights scheduled across the kingdom were not expected to operate on Monday, while flight tracking website FlightRadar24 estimated cancellations at Riyadh airport of about 78%.

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One dead in new attack on Saudi airport, a day after Houthi strike kills 13

The Saudi capital's airport remained closed on Sunday after an attack that killed one person and injured nearly a dozen others. The strike followed another attack claimed by the Houthis a day earlier that killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.

The attacks marked one of the most significant disruptions to Saudi civil aviation in years, forcing airlines across Europe and Asia to suspend services. The Federal Aviation Administration told US airlines on Sunday to exercise caution when flying to or over Saudi Arabia.

Lufthansa Group LHAG.DEhas cancelled all flights to Riyadh until October 16, while Air France-KLM AIRF.PA has extended a previous suspension of services to and from the Saudi capital until the end of the month.

Iran says 'deeply concerned' over escalation between Houthis, Saudi Arabia

Iran said Monday it was "deeply concerned" by escalating attacks between Yemen's Tehran-backed Houthis and Saudi Arabia, after 14 people died in strikes on Riyadh's airport over the weekend.

"We are deeply concerned about the developments taking place in the Arabian Peninsula," foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told a weekly press conference, adding that Tehran was ready "to use our good offices to help facilitate dialogue between the parties".

AFP

China condemns Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, warns of escalation

China condemned on Monday recent attacks by the Houthis on Saudi airports and energy infrastructure, expressing "serious concern" about the conflict between Riyadh and the Yemeni group intensifying.

"China condemns the attacks that caused heavy casualties and expresses serious concern over the intensification of the conflict," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular briefing.

"We call on relevant parties to avoid taking actions that escalate regional tensions, to resolve differences and disputes through dialogue and negotiation, and to achieve peace and stability in the region at an early date," Mao said.

AFP