Riyadh Air cancels and reroutes flights over Houthi attacks — Jerusalem Post

In Saudi Arabia, the new airline Riyadh Air cancelled and rerouted flights due to Houthi attacks on Riyadh airport. The carrier evacuated all aircraft from its base and suspended most flights for nearly two weeks, the Jerusalem Post reports, citing The Wall Street Journal.

Flights rerouted to other airports

Due to the threat to Riyadh airport, the company reduced the number of flights. Aircraft that continued operating landed in Jeddah or at a small airport about 200 miles from the capital. From there, passengers were transported to Riyadh by ground transport; the journey took about an hour.

Riyadh Air was created as a premium carrier for affluent tourists as part of Saudi Arabia's long-term economic plans. The company began operating commercial flights only this summer.

Disruptions also affected Saudia

The Houthi attacks also disrupted Saudia, an airline affiliated with Riyadh Air that caters to oil-sector workers and pilgrims. According to the WSJ, one of the attacks on October 8 resulted in the death of a Saudia pilot and the destruction of an aircraft.

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Riyadh Air employees began volunteering at hospitals where people injured in the strikes on the airport were being treated. At the same time, the carrier was moving valuable assets out of Riyadh.

Plans to resume flights

The airline plans to increase the number of flights and return to a partially regular schedule using an airport in Al-Qassim Province. From there, passengers will be transported to Riyadh by bus free of charge in about 4.5 hours. This includes servicing flights from London, Islamabad and Cairo.

According to the WSJ, Riyadh Air is also expected to renew its war-risk insurance policy in November.