PAL extends flight suspension for Manila-Riyadh route amid Houthi attack on airport
MANILA — Philippine Airlines has extended the suspension of its flights connecting Manila and Riyadh for another 72 hours covering October 9 to 11, citing ongoing safety and airport condition evaluations.
The country’s flag carrier said Friday that services PR654 and PR655 will remain grounded while operational teams continue assessing conditions at the destination airport and their broader implications for flight safety.
The decision prolongs travel disruptions along a major Middle East route heavily relied upon by overseas Filipino workers. The airline stated that the eventual resumption of flights remains strictly subject to a comprehensive safety assessment.
“We understand that this extended disruption creates additional uncertainty for our passengers,” Philippine Airlines said in an official statement. “We apologize for the inconvenience and remain focused on assisting them with their travel arrangements while closely monitoring developments.”
The carrier added that affected passengers are being notified directly of the cancellations and informed of available travel options.
“The safety and well-being of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority,” the airline noted, adding that further updates will be provided as appropriate.
PAL’s flight cancellations were announced amid heightened conflict in the Middle East. According to Agence France-Presse, numerous flights at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport were delayed or cancelled, based on information posted for passengers.
The airport did not immediately acknowledge disruption, pointing only in a short statement to the “necessity” of contacting airlines before travelling.
The United States urged its citizens in Saudi Arabia to “exercise heightened vigilance” following the attacks at the airport, which US government employees now need “special authorisation” to use.
The Saudi civil defense agency on Thursday said a kindergarten and a medical complex in Riyadh were damaged by debris from a missile interception on Thursday, as Yemen’s Houthis announced attacks targeting the capital’s airport.
Two witnesses said that a plane at the airport belonging to national flag carrier Saudia had cracks and holes in its fuselage. A source briefed on the matter said three planes suffered damage.
Saudi Arabia leads a pro-government coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen’s civil war. The Iran-backed group has repeatedly targeted Riyadh since the conflict roared back to life in July, vowing to hit critical infrastructure and disrupt Saudi airspace.
The scale and frequency of the attacks on the Saudi capital have been unprecedented in the eight months of wider war in the Middle East.
In Riyadh, diplomats were instructed to shelter at their respective embassies, some of them told AFP, after explosions echoed around the city on Thursday morning.
There were no text alerts warning residents, as there had been in the past.
An interior ministry campaign has repeatedly warned residents against sharing unauthorised information, images or footage of missiles, drones and their impacts, warning that violators of legal consequences.
Several residents told AFP that international schools were taking precautions, with at least one facility sending children into a basement for safety.
“My daughter called me,” one parent told AFP on condition of anonymity, saying she was “completely distraught”.
Two people working in Riyadh’s business hub, the King Abdullah Financial District, told AFP that some companies were evacuating staff from the area.