A commercial aircraft caught fire at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport on Thursday, 8 October, as Yemen’s Houthi movement claimed another ballistic missile attack on the airport. Aviation publications identified the damaged aircraft as a Saudia Airbus A320-family jet and reported that it had been destroyed.
Reuters verified video showing flames and a substantial smoke plume rising from the airport. Separately, a witness and three people briefed on the incident told the news agency that a commercial aircraft had caught fire.
The incident triggered further disruption at one of Saudi Arabia’s principal international gateways, with airlines suspending services and passengers evacuated from the terminal.
Aircraft believed to have been empty
Three people briefed on the incident told Reuters that the stationary aircraft was believed to have been empty when the fire broke out.
AIRLIVE also reported that a Saudia aircraft had been destroyed by fire, with emergency vehicles attending the scene. Firefighters subsequently extinguished the blaze.
Saudia had not issued a statement confirming the aircraft’s identity or condition in the reporting reviewed for this article.
Cause of aircraft fire remains unresolved
The Houthis claimed responsibility for a ballistic missile attack on King Khalid International Airport. The Saudi-led coalition separately said it had intercepted two ballistic missiles launched towards Riyadh.
Neither statement establishes precisely how the aircraft caught fire. Both aviation publications noted uncertainty over whether it sustained a direct hit or was affected by debris from an interception.
Social media posts have also suggested that more than one aircraft was damaged. No verified aircraft count or registration list was available in the sources reviewed.
Departures cancelled and services suspended
The disruption extended well beyond the aircraft fire. According to Cirium figures reported by Reuters, almost half of Riyadh’s departures had been cancelled by 15:00 UTC on Thursday.
A witness told the Associated Press that departing passengers were instructed to evacuate and leave their checked baggage behind. Fire and ambulance crews responded as smoke remained visible.
Lufthansa Group suspended Riyadh services through 16 October. IndiGo cancelled flights until 9 October, while Air India and Akasa Air suspended services until 10 October, according to statements reported by Reuters.
An Air India flight from Delhi to Riyadh also returned to the Indian capital on Thursday.
Earlier attacks killed three people
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation said separate attacks on Abha and King Khalid airports on 6 and 7 October killed three people and injured 36.
The Riyadh attack killed one person and injured eight, while two people died and 28 were injured at Abha. Those casualties predate Thursday’s aircraft fire.
The authority said it was assessing damage and checking airport facilities with the relevant agencies. The latest incident adds the reported loss of a passenger aircraft to a week of fatalities, interrupted operations and international flight suspensions.
