Riyadh airport blast heard amid Houthi escalation; flights cancelled

• A loud blast was heard at Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport on Saturday.
• The blast occurred amid an escalation of missile strikes by Yemen's Houthi group.
• Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways cancelled multiple flights to and from Riyadh.
• Earlier attacks this week damaged a Saudia aircraft and killed four people.

A loud blast was heard at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Saturday, with eyewitnesses and people briefed on the matter reporting the incident amid an escalation of missile strikes by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group. The Saudi government's media office and the Saudi civil aviation authority did not immediately respond to requests for comment. King Khalid International Airport advised passengers to contact their airlines directly and verify their flight status before traveling. Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways cancelled multiple flights between their respective hubs and Riyadh, with some cancellations extending into Monday. Saturday's blast followed attacks earlier in the week on Riyadh airport that resulted in four fatalities, several injuries, damage to a Saudia aircraft, and smoke billowing over the facility. These strikes prompted several carriers to suspend or cancel services to the Saudi capital, shortly before Riyadh is scheduled to host significant energy and investment conferences. Lufthansa Group had suspended its flights to Riyadh until October 16, citing the evolving situation in the Middle East. Air India, IndiGo, Air India Express, and Akasa Air also cancelled or suspended flights to and from Riyadh until October 10. Aviation analytics company Cirium reported that approximately 49.7% of departures from Riyadh airport had been cancelled by 1500 GMT on Thursday, with an additional 31 cancellations projected for Friday across Saudi airports.