Saudi airlines are moving aircraft worth up to $4 billion out of Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport following a series of Houthi missile and drone attacks, The Wall Street Journal reported.
According to Flightradar24 data cited by the Journal, the number of aircraft on the ground at the airport fell from 134 on October 8 to 38 by midday Wednesday, a drop of about 72 percent in less than a week.
Six aircraft have been damaged in the attacks, with a combined insured value of about $375 million, according to an internal insurance report reviewed by the Journal. One was written off and five were damaged.
On October 8, a Saudia Airbus A320 parked at the airport caught fire and was destroyed after being hit by shrapnel, Reuters reported. Three people were killed, including an airline captain. A nearby Saudia A321neo was also damaged. On October 10, debris damaged the nose of a Riyadh Air Boeing 787, an aircraft reportedly insured for more than $130 million.
Riyadh Air has moved several of its new Boeing 787s away from the capital, flying them to AlUla, Medina and Lahore.
The October 10 attack on the airport was the deadliest single strike on the United States or its Gulf allies in the conflicts linked to the Iran war. Saudi authorities said at least 12 people were killed and 309 wounded, while Reuters has put the toll from the strikes on the airport at 18 or more.
Several foreign carriers, including Lufthansa, Air India, Etihad and Qatar Airways, have suspended flights to Riyadh. The airport is expected to remain closed until Sunday.
The attacks could also drive up insurance costs. Saudia, Riyadh Air and flyadeal are due to renew their war-risk insurance policies next month, according to the Journal.
