TLDR
A Houthi strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh killed 12 people and wounded 309 on 10 October 2026, the deadliest attack on Saudi Arabia in more than a decade. Smartraveller now advises Australians not to travel to Riyadh's main airport and to reconsider any need to visit Saudi Arabia as flights remain disrupted.
Deadliest strike in over a decade
A Houthi attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on 10 October 2026 killed 12 people and wounded 309, the deadliest attack on the kingdom in more than a decade. The General Authority of Civil Aviation confirmed 12 fatalities and 309 wounded from the single strike on the airport.[1]
Four of the 12 dead were Saudi citizens, two were Bangladeshi nationals, and one each came from the United States, Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Sudan and Egypt.[1] Airport operations were suspended while authorities assessed damage and ensured passenger safety.[1]
Third strike in a week
Saturday's attack was the third Houthi strike on King Khalid International Airport in a single week. Two attacks on Thursday had already killed three Saudi nationals, including a pilot, before the far deadlier Saturday assault.[1]
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement has escalated cross-border attacks in recent weeks, targeting Saudi energy and transport infrastructure with missiles and drones. Regional and international air safety bodies have issued formal warnings for flights in affected airspace as the strikes have continued.[3]
Houthi warning and Trump's response
Following Saturday's strike, the Houthis warned all airlines to avoid Saudi airports, exempting only those serving Mecca and Medina, and said worse attacks would follow if the warning was ignored. The threat raised immediate concerns about civil aviation across the kingdom.[1]
United States President Donald Trump called the attack "terrible" and, asked whether the United States would get involved, said: "Well, you're going to find out."[4]
Australia's travel warning and flight disruption
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency revised Conflict Zone Information Bulletin CZIB-2026-09-R1 on 9 October to warn operators that repeated missile and drone attacks had targeted the Riyadh area, including its airport, flagging elevated risk for commercial flight operations in the zone.[3]
Australia's Smartraveller advice, updated on 11 October, now says do not travel to King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and keeps its overall advice for Saudi Arabia at reconsider your need to travel, citing military strikes and reprisal attacks, including in Riyadh.[2] The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade warned that flights may be cancelled or airports closed at short notice.[2]
Travellers with bookings to Saudi Arabia were advised to check directly with their carrier on the status of scheduled services, given the ongoing suspension of operations at King Khalid International Airport.[1]
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