Airlines including Lufthansa and Air India have temporarily suspended operations to Saudi Arabia's capital after explosions, including a large blast heard at the international airport in Riyadh, were reported Thursday.
More than 275 flights were canceled Thursday at King Khalid International Airport, according to flight monitor FlightAware. The cancellations accounted for 40% of scheduled arrivals and 30% of scheduled departures.
Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen claimed responsibility for the latest attack on Riyadh’s airport, saying a ballistic missile caused damage, but provided no evidence. The Saudis had no immediate comment about the claim.
The Houthis’ military spokesman later said the group had fired additional ballistic and cruise missiles at airports in Riyadh and the southwestern city of Najran, claiming the attacks disrupted flights.
Riyadh’s airport “closed again,” global flight-tracking service Flightradar24 said Thursday afternoon on X. It said the last landing was more than 80 minutes earlier and the last takeoff more than 90 minutes earlier.
Lufthansa Group, the German company that owns Lufthansa Airlines and other European carriers, said its airlines will suspend flights to Riyadh through Oct. 16 “due to current developments in the Middle East."
The Indian Embassy in Riyadh said in a series of posts on X that several Indian airlines had also suspended service.
Air India said that, “in the interest of safety,” a flight from Delhi to Riyadh earlier Thursday returned to Delhi and was subsequently canceled, along with all service to and from Riyadh until Saturday.
“We are closely monitoring the situation,” the airline said in a statement.
Budget carrier Akasa Air said it was suspending flights to and from Riyadh through Saturday, while another low-cost carrier, IndiGo, said it was canceling its Riyadh service through Friday.
FILE - Lufthansa aircraft are parked at an airpor in Munich, Germany, April 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File)
Kenneth Walker III had moments of uncertainty after the Super Bowl MVP helped the Seattle Seahawks win the Lombardi Trophy in February.
Facing free agency for the first time, Walker wasn’t sure about his future. The Kansas City Chiefs are happy he joined them.
Walker has already run for 537 yards and four touchdowns, helping the Chiefs start 4-0. He’s on pace to rush for 2,282 yards, which would set an NFL record for most yards in a season.
"It was a lot during the offseason, not knowing where you’ll end up at and how everything will work out, but I got two great agents and talking over everything with my pops was a help as well,” Walker said on the AP’s “Football Unfiltered” podcast. “Ended up here and it’s been a blessing.”
Walker’s presence has added a new dimension to Kansas City’s offense, taking pressure off Patrick Mahomes and giving the unit more balance to prevent defenses from focusing on taking away the pass.
The Chiefs haven’t had a running back gain 1,000 yards in a season since Mahomes became the starting quarterback in 2018. Walker is aware of it and could reach that total by midseason.
"I knew the season could be special the way we worked in OTAs and training camp, the work we put in to get to this point,” Walker said. “And, I pray we continue to be successful throughout the season.”
Mahomes lobbied hard for the Chiefs to get Walker in free agency. While he was recovering from ACL surgery, he reportedly texted GM Brett Veach several times about Walker during the NFL playoffs.
Walker had 312 yards rushing and four TDs in three playoff games, including 135 yards on 27 carries in Seattle’s 29-13 win over New England in the Super Bowl.
"We’re able to just talk off the field about anything. It’s not always about football,” Walker said of his relationship with Mahomes. “So first off, with me, that means a lot when everything is not just about football. But on the field, even just throwing me the ball or relying on me for anything, the confidence that he has in me, it means a lots to me.”
Walker said what surprised him most about the culture in Kansas City was the team’s tough work ethic.
"Going through training camp, it was a grind, those hot days and early mornings, late nights,” he said. “It was just a grind going through that, but even throughout the week, the practices that we have, it’s a grind. But it makes it much easier to go into the game and play at our best.”
Bruce Arians brought Todd Bowles with him to Tampa Bay to be the team’s defensive coordinator in 2019 and wanted him to be his successor as head coach.
Bowles replaced Arians when he abruptly retired in 2022 and led the Buccaneers to three straight NFC South titles, winning one playoff game. But the Bucs are 2-11 since a 6-2 start last season and Bowles is on the hot seat.
The problem in Tampa Bay isn’t a lack of talent.
“Well, the talent’s not the issue,” Arians said on the AP’s “Football Unfiltered” podcast. “(General manager) Jason Licht puts a heck of a roster together, and they’re tied at the hip. The one thing we always have, our GM and head coach have always been tied at the hip. We’re in this together. … And those teams that have those separate categories of personnel and coaching, that usually don’t work. You gotta be in that together. We picked them all together. We never picked a player the coaches didn’t like. That part of it, I don’t think can ever be used as an excuse. It’s the players on the field making the plays, and that crucial catch, that dumb penalty, too many of those right now.”
Watch “Football Unfiltered with Rob Maaddi” here or listen here
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Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker (9) runs as Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Taron Johnson (3) defends during the second half of an NFL football game in Las Vegas, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker (9) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders in Las Vegas, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker speaks during a news conference after an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders in Las Vegas, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Kansas City Chiefs running back Kenneth Walker (9) runs during the second half of an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders in Las Vegas, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
