IndiGo, Air India Divert, Cancel Riyadh Flights After Houthi Airport Attacks

Air India and budget carriers IndiGo and Air India Express on Thursday cancelled their flights to Riyadh until October 10, the airlines said, citing the security situation. The affected passengers, the airlines said, will get a full refund. Lufthansa Group airlines also said they will suspend flights to Riyadh. Iran-backed Houthis have repeatedly claimed attacks against Saudi airports, military and oil facilities in recent days. Early Thursday, the rebels warned global airlines “for the last time” about the potential consequences of operating in Saudi airspace, which it called a theater for its military operations. "In view of the evolving situation in the region, we have cancelled flights to and from Riyadh until October 10. Affected guests are being offered complimentary rescheduling or a full refund on cancellation. We continue to monitor the situation closely," an Air India Express spokesperson said. Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport called on passengers to contact airlines directly before heading to the airport on Thursday, hours after multiple explosions echoed over the Saudi capital. "We would like to inform passengers of the necessity to contact their airlines directly and check their flight status before proceeding to the airport," it said in a statement posted on X.A Lufthansa spokesperson told news agency Reuters that the German group's airlines would suspend flights to Riyadh through October 16 due to "current developments in the Middle East". Smoke was seen rising from a stationary aircraft at Riyadh airport earlier on Thursday, according to a witness and three people briefed on the matter. The Houthis said they had targeted Riyadh's airport for a third time on Thursday, hours after a Saudi-led military coalition announced intercepting missiles in a previous attack. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the Iran-backed group had launched two missiles at Riyadh's airport, as well as one at an airport in Najran and another at an airbase in Khamis Mushait.Several dozen international flights bound for Riyadh on Thursday evening have been cancelled, data from global flight tracker FlightRadar24 showed. According to data compiled by aviation analytics company ‌Cirium, 49.7% of departures from Riyadh airport had been cancelled by 1500 GMT, with 31 more cancellations expected for Friday in all Saudi airports.On Wednesday, Saudi officials said attacks on the Riyadh and Abha airports claimed by the Houthis had killed three people - the first deaths since Saudi Arabia and allied Yemeni forces launched a major ground and air offensive against the rebels.