MOSCOW, October 12. /TASS/. King Khalid International Airport (KKIA), Riyadh’s main aviation hub, which suspended operations last Saturday after coming under attack, is expected to remain closed until the end of Saturday, an air traffic control source told TASS.
"Riyadh airport will remain closed to arrivals and departures until approximately the end of the day on Saturday, October 17," the source said, adding that the information had been passed on to all potential users of the airspace.
Earlier, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation announced that the airport’s suspension would be extended following recent attacks. The extension was necessary to "complete the required procedures to verify the safety of airport facilities and their operational readiness, in coordination with the competent authorities."
On October 10 and 11, the airport in the Saudi capital was attacked by Yemen’s Houthi movement, Ansar Allah. According to Saudi authorities, at least 12 people were killed and another 309 injured in the first strike. One person was killed and 11 others injured in the second attack on October 11, which also caused material damage to the airport.