RIYADH: Saudi Arabia extended the Riyadh airport closure on Monday after deadly weekend attacks, keeping King Khalid International Airport shut while authorities conduct safety inspections.
The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said the suspension would continue until officials completed checks on airport facilities and confirmed their operational readiness.
However, the authority did not announce when it would reopen. Flight-tracking service Flightradar24 reported that the latest closure notice runs until October 18.
The suspension affects an airport handling nearly 700 scheduled flights daily. Meanwhile, Gulf Air cancelled its services to and from Riyadh through October 17.
The extension followed successive attacks on the Saudi capital’s main airport. On Saturday, an attack on a passenger terminal killed 13 people and injured 309 others, according to Saudi authorities.
Read: Saudi Arabia Says Third Riyadh Airport Attack Kills At Least 12
A separate projectile struck Terminal 4 on Sunday, killing a Pakistani resident and injuring 11 other people. The Saudi-led coalition reported intercepting and destroying a cruise missile near the airport that day.
Saudi officials accused Yemen’s Houthis of carrying out Saturday’s strike. The coalition described the attack as a war crime.
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk condemned the attacks on civilian infrastructure and called for de-escalation.
Read: Riyadh Airport Attacks Kill 3, Damage Saudia Aircraft
He warned that continued fighting would deepen civilian suffering in both Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Saudi Arabia extended the suspension of operations at Riyadh’s international airport on Monday, while aviation notices indicated a closure through October 17.
