Flights at Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport were suspended for more than an hour on Wednesday morning after Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, with disruption continuing into Thursday.
Flight tracking website Flightradar24 reported that 58 departures, or 15 per cent of the day's scheduled services, were delayed at Riyadh airport as of Thursday morning, while 11 flights, or 3 per cent, were listed as cancelled.
The airport was experiencing an average departure delay of 45 minutes, with its disruption index standing at 4.2 out of five, a level classified by the platform as indicating major disruption.
Flights affected on Thursday morning included Saudia's SV311 service from Riyadh to Cairo, which was delayed by more than two hours, and Yemenia's IY533 service to Aden, which faced a delay of more than three hours.
Saudia's SV562 bound for Dubai and Turkish Airlines' TK145 bound for Istanbul were among flights cancelled.
The disruption follows drone and missile strikes on King Khalid International Airport and Abha International Airport in southern Saudi Arabia, which killed three people and injured 36 others, according to the kingdom's General Authority of Civil Aviation.
Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the attacks, which also caused damage.
The latest disruptions have raised concerns about the impact of the escalating conflict on air travel, with the US embassy in Riyadh warning that the fighting could lead to flight cancellations.
“US citizens should be aware of potential flight cancellations, airspace closures and travel disruptions. We recommend checking your flight departure status directly with the airline and with the airport,” the embassy said.
Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia: Get all the latest updates here
