Saudi Arabia Says Dammam's King Fahd International Airport Was Attacked as Houthis Widen Strikes on Airports

Update (13:30 UTC, 12 October 2026): Aeronautical notice NOTAM A3604/26 (replacing A3600/26) now states that King Khalid International Airport (OERK/RUH) is not available due to precautionary measures from 12 October 2026 08:45 UTC through 17 October 2026 21:00 UTC. That gives airlines a concrete planning window after GACA’s Monday statement, which extended the suspension for safety checks without naming a passenger reopening time. Cirium data cited by Reuters show about 99.7% of Sunday’s scheduled Riyadh flights cancelled. Lufthansa Group has cancelled all flights to Riyadh until 16 October, and Air France–KLM has extended its suspension of services to and from the Saudi capital until the end of October, Reuters reported.

Update (10:59 UTC, 12 October 2026): Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said in an official statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency that the suspension of operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh has been extended while authorities complete safety and operational-readiness checks at the airport's facilities. GACA did not give a reopening date or time, replacing the earlier Flightradar24-attributed window ending at 21:00 UTC on Monday. flydubai told The National that its flights to Abha, Dammam and Riyadh have been cancelled up to and including 14 October. Emirates has cancelled all six Dubai–Riyadh services on Monday and listed further Riyadh cancellations on Tuesday; Etihad Airways has cancelled selected Abu Dhabi services to Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah on Monday and Tuesday, according to the airline's advisories and The National.

Update (08:07 UTC, 12 October 2026): Gulf airlines cancelled Dammam services: Emirates dropped three Dubai–Dammam flights a day (EK821, EK823 and EK827) on 12 and 13 October, and Etihad Airways and flydubai also cancelled flights to Dammam and Riyadh on both days, Gulf News and The National reported. The International Air Transport Association condemned the attacks and said civilian aviation must not be targeted.

Update (01:35 UTC, 12 October 2026): GACA said a Sunday projectile strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed one person, a Pakistani resident, and wounded 11 others, AFP reported. The US Federal Aviation Administration has issued a Notice to Airmen, valid until 10 December, telling US operators to exercise caution flying to or over Saudi Arabia, Reuters reported.

Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) says King Fahd International Airport in Dammam was targeted in an attack on the evening of Sunday, 11 October 2026. In a short statement, the authority said damage assessments and safety inspections of the airport's facilities were under way in coordination with the relevant authorities. It gave no immediate details on casualties, the extent of any damage, or whether flights at the airport had been suspended.

GACA described the incident as part of a series of continuing hostile attacks on civil aviation facilities in the kingdom.

Houthis claim responsibility

Yemen's Houthi movement claimed the strike. In a televised statement reported by Anadolu Agency, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the attack on King Fahd International Airport had hit its target and disrupted air traffic. He also claimed attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and on two Saudi Aramco sites in the Eastern Province, the Shedgum gas plant and the Tanajib oil facility, and threatened further attacks. These are claims by a party to the conflict and have not been independently verified.

Separately, Saudi-led coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki said on X that air defences had intercepted and destroyed a drone over the Eastern Province, where Dammam is located, Al Arabiya reported.

What it means for flights

King Fahd International Airport, about 410 kilometres (254 miles) north-east of Riyadh, is the main gateway for Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province and the oil and industrial centres of Dammam, Dhahran and Khobar. It handles domestic flights by Saudia, flynas and flyadeal plus regional and international services.

GACA has not said whether Dammam is formally closed, but regional outlets citing flight-tracking data reported that inbound aircraft held or turned away on Sunday evening, and UAE carriers have since cancelled flights. Passengers due to fly to or from Dammam should check their flight status with their airline before travelling to the airport.