Delta Air Lines will delay the launch of its upcoming flight to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, until at least March, the airline said on Monday.
Delta had planned to launch flights from its Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) hub to Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport (RUH) on Friday, Oct. 23, with a week of daily service before transitioning the route to three times per week.
But that nonstop service is now on hold.
The delay comes following several deadly strikes on the airport late last week and over the weekend, which killed at least 16 people in total and left over 300 wounded.
Photos circulating online appeared to show severe damage to at least one Saudia jet, while damage was also sustained by terminal buildings.
As recently as Thursday, Delta CEO Ed Bastian suggested that the airline was weighing whether to postpone the route amid escalating tensions in the region. In an interview with CNBC, he said that safety considerations would ultimately "make the call."
"Saudi Arabia remains an important market for Delta, and we are committed to serving the Kingdom for the long term," Delta said in a statement Monday.
Rebooking and refund options available to passengers
Riyadh's airport is scheduled to remain closed through at least 9 p.m. GMT on Saturday, Oct. 17, and several airlines have suspended flights once it reopens.
Passengers who planned to be on the inaugural or any of the subsequent flights before March can visit the "My Trips" section of Delta's app or website for options, including rebooking, rerouting and refunds.
Related: What to know about getting a refund for a canceled or delayed flight
While Delta executives have touted the route as a way to serve alleged strong U.S. demand for travel to Saudi Arabia, the flight to Riyadh — along with a partnership with the fledgling Riyadh Air — offers Delta a rare chance to gain an operating relationship with a carrier in the Gulf region. It can give Delta access to markets across the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent.
Delta's competitors, American Airlines and United Airlines, both already have a relationship with the carrier.
The venture is also relatively low-risk from a financial standpoint, with Saudi Arabia offering subsidies through its Air Connectivity Program in order to develop new long-haul routes to the country.
Still, various reports have suggested that the route had not been selling very well so far, suggesting that suspending the route in the interest of safety won't affect too many travelers. Given how quickly geopolitical situations can change, the landscape could be very different for Delta's rescheduled inaugural flight in March.
Service now slated to start in March
Once Delta's Atlanta-to-Riyadh service begins, the carrier plans to operate it with its flagship Airbus A350-900.
Saudia flies from RUH and Jeddah's King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED) to New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Dulles International Airport (IAD). But this Delta route is slated to be the first nonstop commercial route between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia operated by a U.S. carrier.
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