Alex Macheras

Aviation Analyst, Consultant, Advisor. Broadcasting #Aviation News @LBC @SkyNews @BBC @AlJazeera @ITV ✈️ Columnist Gulf-Times 🎧 Host of ‘On-Air’ Podcast 🎙️

[Flightradar24 @flightradar24]

Flights to Jeddah currently being held. Last landing was approximately 90 minutes ago. https://t.co/7En32ZoV4L

[Alex Macheras @AlexInAir]

Aviation under attack in Saudi. In addition to Riyadh, Dammam airport in the Eastern Province was attacked Sunday evening “amid continued attacks targeting civil aviation facilities in the kingdom”

[هيئة الطيران المدني @ksagaca]

#Statement | An attack targeted King Fahd International Airport in Dammam.

#GACA

[Alex Macheras @AlexInAir]

Saudi’s civil aviation authority confirms Riyadh’s hub airport, King Khalid International Airport, the main gateway to Saudi Arabia, was once again subjected to an attack this afternoon - unfortunately resulting in further injuries.

[هيئة الطيران المدني @ksagaca]

#Statement | An attack targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.

#GACA

[Ahmed Al Omran @ahmed]

🚨 Breaking: Saudi Arabia intercepts cruise missile in vicinity of Riyadh airport, projectile hit Terminal 4 causing a fire

[Flightradar24 @flightradar24]

Flights bound for Dammam‚ including one that was originally scheduled to Riyadh, are currently holding away from the airfield. https://t.co/iIMzYssGhT

[Alex Macheras @AlexInAir]

Major attacks to Riyadh’s main international airport have continued, latest statement below 👇🏽

[هيئة الطيران المدني @ksagaca]

#Statement | An attack targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, and operations are temporarily suspended.

#GACA

[Alex Macheras @AlexInAir]

👇🏽

[FCDO Travel Advice @FCDOtravelGovUK]

We have updated our Travel Advice for #SaudiArabia following an incident at King Khalid International Airport
https://t.co/VI7OrgszDo

[Alex Macheras @AlexInAir]

👇🏽

[U.S. Embassy Riyadh @USAinKSA]

Security Alert: U.S. Mission Saudi Arabia (October 10, 2026)

The U.S. Mission is aware of attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh on October 10 and strongly recommends all U.S. citizens avoid this airport and surrounding areas.
U.S. government employees working in Saudi Arabia require special authorization to use the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.
U.S. citizens should be aware of potential flight cancellations, airspace closures, and travel disruptions. We recommend checking your flight departure status directly with the airline and with the airport.
U.S. Government Employee Travel Restrictions:
U.S. government employees working in Saudi Arabia require special authorization to use the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. U.S. government employees working in Saudi Arabia are not allowed to travel within 20 miles of the Yemen border due to safety risks and need special authorization for travel to the provinces of Jizan, Asir, Najran, and the cities of Qatif, Yanbu, and Taif.

Read more: https://t.co/uBrNoUIE3W

[سكاي نيوز عربية-عاجل @SkyNewsArabia_B]

رويترز عن مصادر: سماع دوي انفجار قوي في مطار بالعاصمة السعودية الرياض

[أخبار السعودية @SaudiNews50]

��نويه هام من مطار الملك خالد الدولي:

نود إحاطة المسافرين بضرورة التواصل المباشر مع الناقلات الجوية والتحقق من حالة الرحلة قبل التوجه إلى المطار

-

[Saudia Group | مجموعة السعودية @SaudiaGroup]

Statement from #Saudia

[Alex Macheras @AlexInAir]

Riyadh confirm airport attacks targeting a Saudia Airbus A320 aircraft, and Riyadh’s King Khalid Intl Airport facilities, resulting in multiple unfortunate fatalities and injuries, after the Houthis missile strike.

[هيئة الطيران المدني @ksagaca]

#Statement Two attacks targeted King Khalid International Airport facilities and a Saudia aircraft.

#GACA

[Alex Macheras @AlexInAir]

Let us not normalise the sudden rebranding of every descent of a commercial airline jet as a “drop”

It didn’t “drop” - the flight crew initiated a descent from cruising altitude to below 10,000ft (as is procedure during depressurisation) and went on to return to London.

[Sky News @SkyNews]

British Airways flight from London turns back after 27,000 feet drop https://t.co/xOZGxZq0v9

[The Wall Street Journal @WSJ]

Exclusive: The FlyDubai copilot who stabbed his captain had been banned from flying by Oman over concerns he held radical ideological views https://t.co/ZNh6PEseEv

[Alex Macheras @AlexInAir]

What happens when a flight crew declare either ‘7700’ (emergency) or ‘7500’ (unlawful interference/hijacking) from a commercial airline jet? 👇🏽

[Alex Macheras @AlexInAir]

@jabbarmusic Statement from FlyDubai - https://t.co/1RTezDNBV8

[Alex Macheras @AlexInAir]

Breaking: FlyDubai confirms “an altercation occurred in the flight deck” and that the “aircraft was successfully secured by on-duty flydubai crew travelling on the flight who diverted and landed the aircraft safely at Tabuk” — an extraordinary scenario

[Alex Macheras @AlexInAir]

Images of flight #FZ1073, a 737 Max, at Tabuk airport show part of the aircraft’s rudder appears to have been torn off - potentially consistent with the data which recorded an extreme descent rate of approximately -30,000 ft/min.

[Alex Macheras @AlexInAir]

Important, though: the damage alone doesn’t tell us what caused the upset. Investigators will need to establish whether this was a consequence of the event, a contributing factor, or something else. Remember, typically it’s layer up on layer, rather than what’s initially assumed

[Alex Macheras @AlexInAir]

Severe damage to the aircraft involved in the FlyDubai incident, a Boeing 737 MAX 8, following the ��forced’ descent (from 30,000ft to around 15,000ft in just approx 30 secs) during the time of an incident in the flight deck (involving pilots, and reportedly some passengers)

[Alex Macheras @AlexInAir]

Quite striking damage to rudder, & parts of the outer skin

In a steep, high-speed descent, aerodynamic forces build extremely quickly…loads increase roughly with the square of airspeed (as speed rises, the forces acting on the tail & control surfaces can become enormous)