SAUDI ARABIA: Houthis Claim Drone Strikes on Dammam Airport as Flights Face Heavy Disruption

DAMMAM, Saudi Arabia

• The Houthis have claimed three operations against Saudi Arabia in the past 48 hours, including a two-drone attack on King Fahd International Airport (DMM) in Dammam.
• Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the Dammam attack was carried out in two phases and disrupted air navigation at the airport. His statement was carried by Saba, the news agency run by the Houthis.
• Saree also claimed a direct hit on an early-warning radar in Jazan and on a military transport aircraft at Jazan airport.
• The General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) has not issued any statement on the claims. The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) has published nothing on Dammam since GACA's statements on the 21 October attack.
• Flightradar24 data at 2240L (1940Z) on 2 November showed 31 of the day's 219 scheduled flights at Dammam cancelled (14%) and 58 delayed, with a disruption index of 4.0, rated "High". Departures were averaging 47 minutes late.
• The cancellations included EgyptAir flights to and from Cairo and Alexandria, SriLankan Airlines' Colombo rotation, and flights by flyadeal, flydubai and Saudia.
• Flynas, Saudia, flyadeal, and Oman Air flights continued to land and depart throughout the evening.
• InsideAviation.news previously reported that Dammam airport was targeted on 12 October and stayed open. A further Houthi attack on 21 October killed two people and injured eight, according to GACA, and led FlyAden to cancel all scheduled flights for several days.

Sources:

• Al Mahriah Net
• Flightradar24
• Saudi Press Agency