Skift
• Deepthi Nair
Houthi attacks have sharply curtailed flight activity at Riyadh’s airport: Cirium counted 4,071 affected departures from October 8–25, with nearly nine in 10 scheduled flights reportedly grounded. Riyadh Air has moved operations to Al Qassim, while Saudia is shifting selected services to other Saudi airports.
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the United States has delayed a shipment of air defense missiles for nearly a month. A senior Ukrainian official previously described the batch awaiting approval from U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as “significant.”
High activity
Houthi attacks have sharply curtailed flight activity at Riyadh’s airport: Cirium counted 4,071 affected departures from October 8–25, with nearly nine in 10 scheduled flights reportedly grounded. Riyadh Air has moved operations to Al Qassim, while Saudia is shifting selected services to other Saudi airports.
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Ukrainian officials have rejected Elon Musk’s allegation that the military used Starlink for offensive drone strikes in violation of the service’s terms. Kyiv argues commercial Starlink’s limitations prevent its use for medium- and long-range strikes, keeping the dispute focused on how the satellite network is being used in the war.
Violence aimed at civilian aviation has roiled a Saudi airline that was expected to play a role in the kingdom’s long-term economic ambitions. The available reporting does not identify the airline or detail the attacks, but places the company’s plans against a backdrop of conflict-related disruption.
High activity
King Khalid International Airport resumed domestic and international flights Sunday after a closure of about two weeks following Houthi attacks. The reopening came hours before the Iran-aligned group renewed its warning that the airport was a “military target”; passengers were urged to check flight status with airlines.
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