Delta Air Lines has issued an internal staff advisory warning employees against travelling to Riyadh following a series of Houthi missile strikes on King Khalid International Airport, raising doubts over the airline’s Delta Riyadh route launch, which TheTravel reports remains scheduled for 23 October.
The warning, which covered travel between 8 and 12 October, followed the US State Department issuing an urgent travel alert for Saudi Arabia. Recent strikes have caused deaths and injuries, and have targeted fuel supplies, infrastructure and aircraft at the airport, prompting Delta’s internal security team to act.
What the attacks mean for the Atlanta–Riyadh launch
One attack hit a parked Saudia Airbus A320 on the ground at King Khalid International Airport, burning through the aircraft’s fuselage. No passengers were on board. In the aftermath of the latest strikes, many flights were diverted or cancelled.
Delta’s chief executive, Ed Bastian, has indicated that safety will ultimately determine whether the route goes ahead, despite what the source describes as less-than-ideal seat sales on the service. The airline has already offered sale fares on the Atlanta–Riyadh route in an effort to stimulate demand.
The current schedule, as reported by TheTravel’s sister publication Simple Flying, shows flight DL318 departing Atlanta at 23:50 and arriving in Riyadh at 19:45 the following day, operated by an Airbus A350-900. The return service, DL317, leaves Riyadh at 23:30 and lands in Atlanta at 07:37. The route is planned to run daily from 23 October through 30 October, before moving to a three-weekly frequency.
The service would be the only nonstop link between the United States and Saudi Arabia operated by a US carrier, with Delta funnelling passengers from across its network through its Atlanta hub for the 15-hour flight.
Delta’s position and the route’s background
A Delta spokesperson, speaking to Simple Flying, confirmed that the airline had ‘not announced any changes to our previous announcement’ regarding the launch. The airline’s internal safety and security department holds the final say on whether flights will proceed.
Delta added Riyadh to its network as part of a strategic partnership with local carrier Riyadh Air, which will allow passengers to connect onward to domestic and international destinations. The route is linked to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 programme, aimed at reducing the country’s dependence on oil revenue and developing its business and tourism sectors, backed by the country’s sovereign wealth fund.
Delta’s internal safety team regularly issues warnings to staff to flag hazardous conditions, covering weather risks, challenging airports and other safety concerns raised by frontline workers. Delta’s security department retains the authority to decide whether scheduled flights will operate, and that decision remains pending for the 23 October departure.
