Riyadh airport closure triggers widespread flight cancellations after deadly attack
publishers 27articles 34first reported 8 Oct, 08:10 UTCdeveloping since 8 Oct · 21 editions
Saudi Arabia extended the closure of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Sunday after an alleged Houthi attack the previous day killed 12 people and injured more than 300, according to The National and The Indian Express.
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation suspended operations while assessing damage and carrying out safety checks, The National reported, with flights diverted from Riyadh on Saturday. An aviation notice cited precautionary measures and said the airport would remain closed until midnight Sunday local time, without specifying when passenger services would resume.
Flightradar24 listed 606 Riyadh arrivals and departures as cancelled on Sunday, including 313 arrivals and 293 departures, The National reported. Etihad Airways cancelled services between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh on Sunday and Monday, The National reported, while Emirates, flydubai and Air Arabia flights linking Riyadh with Dubai and Sharjah were also listed as cancelled. Kuwait’s Jazeera Airways said its Riyadh services were affected by the suspension.
SriLankan Airlines suspended all flights between Colombo and Riyadh through October 18, while saying its Dammam services would continue as scheduled. Separate cancellations affected flights between Kochi and Jeddah or Riyadh operated by Saudia, Akasa Air and Air India Express.
Airlines advised passengers to verify flight status before travelling to airports and to contact carriers or travel agents about rebooking and refunds.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 6 with the publisher's own text; 7 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 78 h after the record first saw the story; the editor revised it.
- Publishers
- 27
- Source articles
- 34
- Given to the writer
- 8, 6 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 7
- This version written
- 78 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- revised
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and changed it before publication. Struck words were in the draft; underlined words are its corrections.
WHAT IT FLAGGED editor revise: Several attribution and scope issues needed tightening to match the cited reports. - "according to The National, Middle East Eye and The Indian Express": Middle East Eye says the alleged strike killed at least 12 people and injured more than 300, but the airport closure extension is sourced to The National and The Indian Express, not Middle East Eye. - "The Saudi General Authority of Civil Aviation suspended operations for damage assessments and safety checks": The National says Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation suspended operations while assessing damage and carrying out safety checks; the story's wording implies the authority suspended operations specifically 'for' those purposes. - "Etihad Airways cancelled services between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh on Sunday and Monday": Sources say Etihad cancellations extend into Tuesday/October 13 in The Indian Express, and The National specifies Sunday and Monday for particular cancellations; the broad statement 'services ... on Sunday and Monday' is incomplete/misleading without the source's limitation.
THE DRAFT AND THE CHANGES
Riyadh airport closure triggers widespread flight cancellations after deadly attack
Saudi Arabia extended the closure of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on Sunday after an alleged Houthi attack the previous day killed 12 people and injured more than 300, according to The National, Middle East EyeNational and The Indian Express.
TheSaudi SaudiArabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation suspended operations forwhile assessing damage assessmentsand andcarrying out safety checks, The National reported, with flights diverted from Riyadh on Saturday. An aviation notice cited precautionary measures and said the airport would remain closed until midnight Sunday local time, without specifying when passenger services would resume.
Flightradar24 listed 606 Riyadh arrivals and departures as cancelled on Sunday, including 313 arrivals and 293 departures, The National reported. Etihad Airways cancelled services between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh on Sunday and Monday, The National reported, while Emirates, flydubai and Air Arabia flights linking Riyadh with Dubai and Sharjah were also listed as cancelled. Kuwait’s Jazeera Airways said its Riyadh services were affected by the suspension.
SriLankan Airlines suspended all flights between Colombo and Riyadh through October 18, while saying its Dammam services would continue as scheduled. Separate cancellations affected flights between Kochi and Jeddah or Riyadh operated by Saudia, Akasa Air and Air India Express.
Airlines advised passengers to verify flight status before travelling to airports and to contact carriers or travel agents about rebooking and refunds.
Written by a language model from the sources above, then checked by a second model that may only cut, attribute or correct. How it works →