Houthi Ballistic Missiles Target Aden International Airport, Force Flight Diversion to Jeddah

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis attacked Aden International Airport with ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones early on October 7, 2026, forcing authorities to divert a Cairo-to-Aden flight to Jeddah and evacuate passengers and staff, Yemen's Transport Ministry said. One missile landed approximately 30 meters from the runway minutes before a scheduled flight from Cairo was due to land, Al Jazeera and The Jerusalem Post reported. The attack came as part of a wider escalation in which Houthis launched missiles toward Yemen's international airport as well as the Saudi cities of Riyadh and Khamis Mushait on October 7, according to Reuters coverage cited by The Jerusalem Post.

The strike on Aden Airport demonstrates the Houthi capacity to disrupt civilian air travel in territory controlled by Yemen's internationally recognized government, even as Saudi-backed forces claim territorial gains in the southwest. Flight diversions to Jeddah impose operational costs on airlines and isolate Aden from regional air connections. The timing—minutes before a scheduled Cairo arrival—suggests either precise targeting or a willingness to risk mass civilian casualties, raising the threshold of acceptable risk for international carriers serving southern Yemen.

Sources

Al Jazeera, October 7, 2026, aljazeera.com | The Jerusalem Post, October 7, 2026, jpost.com | Reuters via The Jerusalem Post, October 7, 2026