Saudia pilot fatally injured and aircraft destroyed in missile attack on Riyadh Airport
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A Saudia passenger aircraft has been badly damaged after catching fire during a suspected Houthi missile attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport. The airline confirmed the damage and shared that a pilot had also been killed in the attack.
The General Authority of Civil Aviation confirmed the attack and damage to the aircraft, adding that three Saudi citizens had lost their lives on 8 October.
The incident follows attacks on two Saudi airports that killed three people and injured 36 others earlier this week.
The aircraft was parked at a terminal on Thursday, 8 October, when it was struck by shrapnel from an intercepted missile or another projectile, according to Reuters, citing three people briefed on the incident.
The sources said the aircraft caught fire and suffered extensive damage. No passengers were believed to be on board.
Separately, Saudia has confirmed that a captain working for the airline had passed away following the attacks. It’s unclear whether they were on board the aircraft at the time of the blaze.
The latest incident comes amid an escalating Houthi campaign against Saudi aviation infrastructure, with attacks on both King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Abha International Airport in the country’s southwest.
Houthi attacks hit Riyadh and Abha airports
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation confirmed that three people were killed and 36 injured in separate attacks on the two airports earlier this week.
At Abha International Airport, two women, one Moroccan and one Algerian, were killed and 28 people injured. At King Khalid International Airport, a Sudanese national was killed and eight others injured. Those casualties occurred before Thursday’s reported aircraft fire.
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement claimed responsibility for further attacks on Riyadh airport on Thursday. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the group had launched a ballistic missile that struck its intended target.
BREAKING: Footage shows a Saudia Airbus A320-200 narrow-body airliner being hit while parked at Riyadh Airport, Saudi Arabia, in a successful one-way attack drone strike by Houthi terrorists. https://t.co/WuFWKH0hvF
— Babak Taghvaee – The Crisis Watch (@BabakTaghvaee1) October 8, 2026
The Saudi-led coalition separately reported intercepting two ballistic missiles heading towards Riyadh and another directed towards Khamis Mushait, home to a major military airbase near Abha.
Saudi civil defence officials also reported damage to a kindergarten and medical complex in Riyadh from falling missile debris.
The cause of the damage to the Saudia aircraft on Thursday remains under investigation. It is not yet clear whether a missile directly struck the aircraft or whether falling debris damaged it.
Saudia captain killed in strikes on Riyadh airport
Following reports of the attack on the airport, Saudia released an obituary naming the deceased captain as Hamoud Ali Alkalthami. The airline has not confirmed whether the pilot was harmed at the same time as the aircraft, only specifying that it occurred during the ‘incident’ at King Khaled Airport.
Reuters verifies footage of Riyadh airport fire
Images circulating online have prompted questions about whether photographs of the reported attack are genuine.
Some older images of fires and explosions in Saudi Arabia have previously been recirculated as evidence of new incidents.
🇾🇪⚔️🇸🇦 Images show a burned-out Saudia jet at Riyadh’s King Khalid airport after Houthi missile fire — direct hit claimed, cause not confirmed Footage and photos from Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Oct. 8 show a stationary aircraft in Saudia livery, an Airbus A320-family jet, burned out, surrounded by emergency vehicles, with thick black smoke and flames near airport buildings, according to aviation outlets that published the images. Reuters reported smoke rising from a stationary aircraft believed to be empty, three people briefed on the matter said, and that the fire has been put out; no casualties aboard have been reported. The Houthis said a ballistic missile hit the airport; the Saudi-led coalition said it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles fired at Riyadh. The airport closed again and flights were delayed. Saudi authorities have not confirmed the Houthi claim or the aircraft’s status. Reported by Reuters, AP, AirLive and aviation press; I could not independently verify the images. Whether the jet was hit directly by a missile or damaged by debris from an interception. Outlets showing the footage say there is no independent confirmation of a direct hit. Saudi state media said debris from an intercepted missile also damaged a kindergarten and a medical clinic complex in Riyadh. Saudi civil aviation authority GACA says three civilians were killed and 36 injured in Houthi-claimed attacks on Abha and Riyadh airports on Tuesday and Wednesday: two women, a Moroccan and an Algerian, were killed in Abha, with 28 injured, and a Sudanese resident was killed in Riyadh, with eight injured, including five Saudis. Whatever the cause, a Saudi-flagged airliner was destroyed on the ground at the kingdom’s main hub, and the airport keeps shutting. That is the Houthi objective: disrupt aviation and shake confidence, as their warning to airlines makes clear. What would settle the cause: a Saudi aviation or defense statement, the aircraft’s registration, and any imagery of missile fragments. Sources: Reuters; AP; AirLive; Saudi GACA (via Al Jazeera); Flightradar24.
— 🔥🗞The Informant (@theinformant_x) October 8, 2026
Reuters independently verified video recorded at King Khalid International Airport on 8 October. The agency matched airport buildings, lighting structures and painted tarmac markings against satellite imagery. It also found no earlier online versions of the footage.
Nearly half of Riyadh flights cancelled
The attacks caused widespread disruption to commercial aviation.
According to Reuters, aviation analytics company Cirium reported that almost half of scheduled departures from Riyadh had been cancelled by 15:00 GMT on Thursday.
Riyadh Airport closed again. Last landing 80+ minutes ago. Last take off 90+ minutes ago. https://t.co/uio0KXdNik
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) October 8, 2026
Flight tracking data also showed extensive delays. As of this morning, Flightradar24 shows Riyadh Airport has a disruption index of 4.1 with “major problems” including long delays and cancellations. A total of 111 flights were delayed (16% of flights at the airport) and 103 flights (15%) were cancelled.
Passengers should check with their airlines before travelling to the airport.
Several international carriers suspended services:
- Lufthansa Group suspended Riyadh flights until 16 October.
- Air India cancelled services through 10 October, including a Delhi–Riyadh flight that returned to Delhi.
- Akasa Air suspended flights through 10 October.
- IndiGo cancelled Riyadh flights through 9 October.
Saudi carriers Saudia, flynas and flyadeal also experienced substantial disruption.
Why are the Houthis attacking Saudi airports?
The Houthis say they are targeting Saudi Arabia because of its military support for Yemen’s internationally recognised government.
Fighting has intensified in recent weeks as Saudi-backed forces attempt to recapture territory seized by the Houthis along Yemen’s Red Sea coast.
The group has threatened further attacks on Saudi airports, airspace and energy infrastructure.
The latest incidents demonstrate the vulnerability of commercial aviation to missile attacks, including the risk of falling debris from air defence interceptions.
Saudi authorities have yet to release an official assessment of the aircraft damage or confirm whether anyone was injured in Thursday’s incident.
