The Saudi Guides

Houthi Attack Closes Abha Airport; Saudia and flynas Cancel Flights

· 2 min read Travel News
Aircraft at a Saudi Arabian airport

Contents

  1. What Happened
  2. Flight Cancellations
  3. Safety Considerations

Abha Regional Airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia was struck by a Houthi missile and drone attack on 13 July 2026, causing significant damage to ground infrastructure. Saudi national carrier Saudia, low-cost carrier flynas, and Gulf operator flydubai have all cancelled flights to and from Abha until further notice.

What Happened

The Houthi movement, which controls large parts of neighbouring Yemen, claimed responsibility for the strike as part of its ongoing campaign against Saudi Arabia. The attack caused fires at the airport perimeter and forced the closure of the facility. Saudi civil defence and emergency services responded to the scene.

Abha Airport serves the Asir region, one of Saudi Arabia’s most visited domestic tourism destinations, popular for its cooler highland climate, traditional villages, and national parks. The city of Abha draws both Saudi domestic travellers and international visitors, particularly in the summer months when temperatures elsewhere in the Kingdom are extreme.

Flight Cancellations

All commercial flights in and out of Abha are suspended as of 14 July. Affected carriers include:

  • Saudia - all Abha routes cancelled
  • flynas - all Abha routes cancelled
  • flydubai - Dubai–Abha route cancelled

Passengers with bookings to or from Abha should contact their carrier directly for rebooking or refund arrangements. No restart date has been confirmed; the airport reopening will depend on damage assessments and security clearance.

Travellers planning to visit the Asir region should monitor the situation closely. Alternative access via Jizan Airport, around 180 kilometres west, remains an option if flights resume there, though ground travel to Abha from Jizan takes approximately two hours.

Safety Considerations

The UK FCDO and US State Department both advise against all travel within 10 kilometres of the Saudi-Yemen border. Abha is located approximately 120 kilometres from the border; previous Houthi attacks on the airport have occurred periodically since 2019.

For those planning travel elsewhere in Saudi Arabia, the is Saudi Arabia safe guide has a full breakdown of regional risk levels. Riyadh, Jeddah, and the Red Sea coast remain unaffected by this incident. See flights to Saudi Arabia for alternative routing options into the country.

We will update this article when Abha Airport reopens.