The latest attacks on Saudi Arabia’s King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, one of the country’s busiest aviation hubs, have underscored the growing risks facing airlines operating in a region increasingly affected by military confrontations, missile threats and drone attacks.
The attacks, claimed by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement, were reported to have killed at least 13 people and injured more than 300 after a projectile struck airport terminals over the weekend, according to officials cited in the report. The incidents were described as the deadliest attacks in Saudi Arabia in more than a decade.
The security crisis has prompted fresh questions about the vulnerability of airports, the ability of existing defence systems to counter emerging threats and the long-term implications for airlines serving destinations across the Gulf.
Aviation safety experts say the nature of the threat represents a significant shift in the risks facing the industry, with civilian airports increasingly exposed to the effects of regional conflicts.
"It's a new paradigm. Civil aviation is being directly targeted and it has not been the case in the last couple of decades," said Mark Zee, founder of OpsGroup, an independent aviation safety organisation whose members include pilots, airline employees, flight dispatchers and other aviation professionals.
The situation has forced airlines to make rapid operational decisions, with some suspending flights for days or weeks and others considering longer withdrawals from affected markets. Carriers may also redeploy aircraft originally assigned to destinations such as Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and Doha in Qatar to alternative routes, further reshaping international flight networks.
Airport security faces new challenges
The attacks have highlighted gaps in conventional airport security arrangements, which have traditionally focused on controlling access to airport facilities and protecting aircraft rather than defending against threats entering the airspace.
"Historically, airport security is focused on preventing unauthorized access to aircraft and the airport, not defending airspace," said Jeff Price, a professor in the Department of Aviation and Aerospace Science at Metropolitan State University of Denver and an airport management consultant.
The increasing use of drones has complicated the challenge for authorities, particularly because such devices can be difficult to detect and counter using systems designed to intercept conventional missiles.
"There is this established way to deal with kind of more conventional weapons such as missiles. It's very expensive, but there is a way," said Gulnaz Ukassova, a United Arab Emirates-based security director of information and analysis at risk management firm International SOS.
"There is still no sort of foolproof way to deal with the threat posed by drones. The technology, obviously, is constantly evolving."
Her comments underline the difficulties facing governments and aviation authorities as they seek to protect airports that accommodate thousands of passengers daily while maintaining the security of surrounding airspace.
The consequences extend beyond airport operations. Airlines must assess whether flights can operate safely, while passengers face cancellations, delays and uncertainty over their travel plans. Businesses that rely on international connections may also be forced to postpone meetings and reorganise operations.
King Khalid International Airport was reported to have been shut down for much of the week following the attacks, with some airlines suspending operations because of safety concerns. Senior executives from major oil companies also withdrew from an energy conference in Saudi Arabia, reflecting the broader commercial impact of the deteriorating security environment.
Delta postpones landmark Saudi route
The crisis has also disrupted Saudi Arabia's ambitions to expand its international aviation links.
Delta Air Lines was less than two weeks away from launching a new nonstop service between Atlanta in the United States and Riyadh. The route was expected to mark the first nonstop commercial flight between the two countries operated by a US airline, according to the carrier.
However, the United States Federal Aviation Administration issued a warning to American carriers late on Sunday about flight-safety risks when operating in or over Saudi Arabia.
Delta announced on Monday morning that it would postpone the launch of the route until March.
The decision represents a setback for Saudi Arabia's efforts to attract more international visitors, strengthen business connections and establish itself as a major global travel destination.
The kingdom's Vision 2030 economic programme seeks to reduce its dependence on oil revenues by diversifying the economy, developing tourism and attracting international investment. Expanding air connectivity is an important part of that strategy.
Before the latest security concerns, Saudi Arabia's aviation market had been recording substantial growth. Scheduled seat capacity was more than 23 per cent higher in 2026 than in 2023, according to aviation-data firm Cirium, although the pace of expansion had recently slowed.
The latest developments raise questions about whether airlines and travellers will maintain confidence in the market if security concerns persist.
The willingness of companies and individuals to return will depend partly on their tolerance for risk, according to Ukassova. Energy companies, which frequently need to conduct in-person inspections and visits to large projects, may be more willing to accept higher levels of risk than academics and other travellers with lower tolerance for potential security threats.
Airlines take longer routes to avoid danger
Beyond airport closures, the conflict is forcing airlines to navigate increasingly restricted airspace, particularly over Iran, adding time and cost to international journeys.
The outbreak of the Iran war in February triggered a major aviation and travel disruption, with airlines reassessing routes and avoiding areas considered unsafe for commercial operations.
Australian carrier Qantas, for instance, has altered its Perth-to-London service to avoid Iranian airspace. The longer journey has required the airline to introduce a stop in Singapore for refuelling.
The adjustment illustrates how conflicts thousands of kilometres from an airline's home base can affect flight schedules, aircraft utilisation and operating expenses.
Airlines have already faced similar challenges since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which forced many Western passenger and cargo carriers to avoid Russian airspace. Those restrictions have resulted in longer routes on several international services for years.
The latest disruptions are adding to those existing pressures, particularly as airlines contend with higher fuel costs linked to instability in the Middle East.
Longer flights generally require more fuel and can complicate crew scheduling, aircraft rotations and connections for passengers. Additional refuelling stops may also increase journey times and create further operational costs.
For airlines operating on tight schedules, the effects can extend beyond individual routes, potentially affecting the availability of aircraft for other services.
Gulf travel demand remains under pressure
Although air traffic to major regional hubs such as Dubai and Doha has recovered from the initial disruption following the US and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28, passenger capacity remains below the levels recorded in 2025.
Flight-data firm OAG reported that seat capacity across the Middle East was down 5.7 per cent in October compared with the same period a year earlier, representing approximately 2.2 million fewer seats.
The figures point to the continuing impact of the conflict on airline operations and the availability of flights across the region.
For travellers, reduced capacity can mean fewer direct connections, more expensive tickets and longer journeys. Businesses that depend on the Gulf as a transit point for travel between Europe, Asia and other markets may also face additional logistical challenges.
Some airlines have adopted a more cautious approach, choosing to avoid certain destinations until the security situation improves.
Finnair chief executive Turkka Kuusisto signalled the Finnish airline's reluctance to resume services to some Gulf destinations while the conflict remains unresolved.
"We will not fly to Dubai and Doha, and we need to wait until the situation gets settled," Kuusisto told reporters last month in New York.
The position reflects the difficult balance airlines must strike between maintaining commercially important routes and protecting passengers, crew members and aircraft.
Uncertain outlook for global aviation
The latest attacks have reinforced concerns that the consequences of the Middle East conflicts could extend well beyond the immediate areas of fighting.
Airports are critical links in international transport networks, and disruptions at major hubs can affect connecting flights, cargo movements, tourism and business travel across multiple continents.
As airlines continue to reassess their exposure to the region, the duration of the crisis and the effectiveness of security measures will be central to decisions about restoring suspended services and launching new routes.
For Saudi Arabia, the challenge is particularly significant because its plans to expand tourism and attract foreign investment depend partly on reliable international air connections.
For the wider aviation industry, the growing threat posed by missiles, drones and restricted airspace is creating a more complicated operating environment, with higher costs and greater uncertainty over route planning.
Until the security situation stabilises, airlines and passengers are likely to face continued disruption, while governments and airport operators confront mounting pressure to strengthen the protection of civilian aviation infrastructure.