Delta delays Riyadh route as airport closure extends after Houthi attacks
publishers 40articles 58first reported 8 Oct, 08:10 UTCdeveloping since 8 Oct · 21 editionstop 25 #25
Delta Air Lines has postponed the launch of nonstop service between Atlanta and Riyadh until March after deadly attacks hit the Saudi capital’s King Khalid International Airport.
The route had been scheduled to begin Oct. 23 using an Airbus A350-900 and would have been the first nonstop commercial service between the United States and Saudi Arabia operated by a U.S. airline. Delta said it remained in contact with government and aviation partners and was monitoring conditions.
The airport remained closed Monday after attacks claimed by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement. CNBC reported that a projectile struck a passenger terminal Saturday, killing at least 12 people and wounding more than 300. The Indian Express reported 13 deaths in Saturday’s attack, followed by at least one death and 12 injuries in additional strikes Sunday.
More than 2,000 flights to and from Riyadh had been canceled since Thursday, according to FlightAware data cited by CNBC. Cirium estimated that about 60% of Monday’s scheduled flights would be canceled, while Flightradar24 projected roughly 78%, The Indian Express reported.
Saudi authorities extended the suspension of airport operations, prompting Bahrain’s Gulf Air to cancel Riyadh flights from Oct. 12 through Oct. 17. Lufthansa Group suspended service through Oct. 16. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration also advised American carriers to exercise caution in and around Saudi airspace because of military activity and potential navigation-system risks.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 4 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 102 h after the record first saw the story; the editor revised it.
- Publishers
- 40
- Source articles
- 58
- Given to the writer
- 8, 4 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 8
- This version written
- 102 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: The story needs a few unsupported specifics and causal claims corrected while preserving the sourced reporting. - "until March 2027": The sources say Delta delayed the launch until March, but do not specify 2027 in the provided text. - "after deadly attacks forced the Saudi capital’s King Khalid International Airport to suspend operations": This states a causal sequence not directly supported by the sources for Delta's postponement; sources say the delay was after/amid attacks, while airport operations were suspended after attacks. - "Saudi authorities extended the suspension of airport operations until Saturday": Middle East Eye says Saudi authorities extended the suspension and Gulf Air cancelled flights until Saturday, but does not say the airport suspension itself was extended until Saturday.
THE DRAFT AND THE CHANGES
Delta delays Riyadh route as airport closure extends after Houthi attacks
Delta Air Lines has postponed the launch of nonstop service between Atlanta and Riyadh until March 2027 after deadly attacks forcedhit the Saudi capital’s King Khalid International Airport to suspend operations.Airport.
The route had been scheduled to begin Oct. 23 using an Airbus A350-900 and would have been the first nonstop commercial service between the United States and Saudi Arabia operated by a U.S. airline. Delta said it remained in contact with government and aviation partners and was monitoring conditions.
The airport remained closed Monday after attacks claimed by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement. CNBC reported that a projectile struck a passenger terminal Saturday, killing at least 12 people and wounding more than 300. The Indian Express reported 13 deaths in Saturday’s attack, followed by at least one death and 12 injuries in additional strikes Sunday.
More than 2,000 flights to and from Riyadh had been canceled since Thursday, according to FlightAware data cited by CNBC. Cirium estimated that about 60% of Monday’s scheduled flights would be canceled, while Flightradar24 projected roughly 78%, The Indian Express reported.
Saudi authorities extended the suspension of airport operations until Saturday,operations, prompting Bahrain’s Gulf Air to cancel Riyadh flights from Oct. 12 through Oct. 17. Lufthansa Group suspended service through Oct. 16. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration also advised American carriers to exercise caution in and around Saudi airspace because of military activity and potential navigation-system risks.
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 →