Stock Market Today: Delta Delays Riyadh Launch to March
Delta pushed back its Atlanta-Riyadh nonstop from Oct. 23 to March after deadly attacks closed Riyadh's airport and the FAA warned U.S. airlines on the region.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Company | Delta Air Lines (DAL) |
| Route | Atlanta to Riyadh, nonstop |
| Planned start | Oct. 23 |
| New timing | March |
| Aircraft | Airbus A350-900 |
| Flights canceled at Riyadh since Thursday | More than 2,000 (FlightAware) |
| FAA caution notice | In effect until Dec. 10 |
Delta Air Lines said Monday it will delay the launch of its Atlanta to Riyadh service until March, after several deadly attacks hit King Khalid International Airport in the Saudi capital. The route was due to start Oct. 23 and would have been the first nonstop commercial flight between the United States and Saudi Arabia operated by a U.S. airline.
The attacks have been claimed by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis. According to officials cited by CNBC, a projectile struck a passenger terminal on Saturday, killing at least 12 people and wounding more than 300. FlightAware data show more than 2,000 flights to and from the airport have been canceled since Thursday, and the airport remained closed as of Monday.
The delay follows a warning from the Federal Aviation Administration on Sunday. The agency told U.S. airlines to “exercise caution” in or around Saudi Arabia because of “safety-of-flight risks associated with ongoing military activities” and navigation systems, and said the threats could pose a risk to aircraft at all altitudes. The notice runs through Dec. 10. Some airlines suspended flights to the airport for the rest of the week, and governments including the U.S. and Australia have advised citizens against travel to the region.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian had told CNBC last week that no decision on postponing had been made. “Safety is going to make the call,” he said. In a statement Monday, Delta said it remains in close contact with government and aviation partners, including Saudia and Riyadh Air, and that Saudi Arabia “remains an important market” it intends to serve over the long term.
For the stock market today, the practical effect for Delta is a deferred route rather than a cancelled one: a widebody launch that had been scheduled for less than two weeks out now moves back by several months. The FAA notice expiring Dec. 10 is the next date that bears on how U.S. carriers treat Saudi airspace.
Prepared with AI assistance from public sources and reviewed under our editorial policy. Not investment advice.
