Loud blast heard at Riyadh airport as airlines cancel more flights

A loud blast was heard at the airport in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Saturday, an eyewitness and people briefed on the matter said, amid an escalation of missile strikes on the kingdom by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group. The Saudi government’s media office and the Saudi civil aviation authority did not immediately respond to requests for comment. King Khaled International Airport urged passengers to contact their airlines directly and check their flight status before heading to the airport. Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways cancelled multiple flights between their respective hubs and Riyadh, with some cancellations extending into Monday. Saturday’s blast followed attacks earlier this week on Riyadh airport that killed four people, injured several others, damaged a Saudia aircraft and sent smoke billowing over the facility. The strikes prompted a number of carriers to suspend or cancel services to the Saudi capital, shortly before Riyadh is due to host major energy and investment conferences.