Delta Air Lines is scheduled to begin nonstop flights from Atlanta to Riyadh on October 23, the first such service by a U.S. airline. The launch now comes after a week of deadly attacks on King Khalid International Airport. An October 10 strike killed at least 12 people and injured more than 300, according to Saudi authorities, forcing another suspension of airport operations. Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen claimed earlier attacks on the airport. As of this writing, Delta has not announced a postponement.
Delta was offering one-way award seats for as little as 15,000 miles in August, saying it wanted to introduce travelers to Riyadh and encourage early bookings. That is an aggressive promotion, though not proof that the route was failing to sell. Virgin Atlantic, 49% owned by Delta, had already cancelled its London–Riyadh service in April, citing the conflict, safety assessments, and the difficulty of maintaining a reliable schedule.
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