The Houthis said on October 8 that they fired a ballistic missile at King Khalid airport in Riyadh, the second announced attack on the capital since September 19 (The Guardian, Associated Press, Reuters, BBC). The coalition said it destroyed two ballistic missiles, and fragments and debris fell on a medical complex, and Reuters spotted smoke from a parked plane. Saudi Arabia did not confirm the alleged direct hit, and had confirmed three killed and more than 30 injured in attacks on two airports. Etihad flight EY555 was delayed and flydubai cancelled flights FZ855 and FZ856 (Khaleej Times). According to Cirium, 169 of 378 flights were cancelled or barred, and Lufthansa and Indian airlines suspended their flights.
Targeting the airports of the Saudi capital hits the kingdom’s largest aviation hub and cripples part of regional traffic, and the UAE is tied to it by heavy daily flights.
If you are traveling to or through Riyadh, check your flight status with Etihad or flydubai before heading to the airport, and review the refund and rebooking terms.
One view: a parked plane hit and flights suspended show that civilian airports have become a direct target.
The other: Riyadh says its defenses intercepted the missiles, that the damage is limited, and that the disruption stems from caution, not from a hit.
The fact that needs no confirmation: flights are in fact disrupted. As for the scale of the damage, we await a statement from Saudi civil aviation. We think UAE airlines will keep adjusting day by day.
The Guardian, Associated Press, Reuters, BBC, Khaleej Times (on Etihad and flydubai), Cirium (Oct. 8 – 9, 2026)
Houthis say they fired a missile at King Khalid airport in Riyadh, and UAE airlines delay and cancel flights to the Saudi capital
The Saudi-led coalition said it destroyed two ballistic missiles, and Reuters spotted smoke from a parked plane. Etihad announced a delay to its flight and flydubai cancelled flights 855 and 856.
The Houthis said on Thursday, October 8, that they fired a ballistic missile at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the second attack they have announced on the capital since September 19, according to The Guardian, the Associated Press, Reuters and the BBC. The Saudi-led coalition said it destroyed two ballistic missiles aimed at the city, that fragments fell after the interception and that debris landed on a medical complex. Reuters spotted smoke from a parked plane believed to be empty. Saudi Arabia did not confirm the claim of a direct hit, but it had confirmed that three people were killed and more than 30 injured in attacks on two airports during the week.
Etihad announced that its flight EY555 from Abu Dhabi to Riyadh was delayed for a long time because of the airport closure, and the return flight EY556 was delayed, according to Khaleej Times. flydubai cancelled flights FZ855 and FZ856 the same day. According to Cirium data, 169 of 378 scheduled flights at the airport were cancelled or recorded as “barred from departure.” Lufthansa and Indian airlines suspended their flights to Riyadh, according to Reuters. The Houthis warned workers at Saudi oil facilities and renewed their warnings to airlines.