Delta CEO: 'Safety is going to make the call' on launching Saudi Arabia flight
Delta is weighing whether to continue with its Riyadh, Saudi Arabia flight debut as planned.
Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said his carrier is weighing whether to go ahead with debuting a flight between Atlanta and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia , after attacks claimed by Iran-backed Houthi rebels have escalated there.
The flights between Riyadh and Delta's biggest hub are scheduled to begin on Oct. 23.
Three people were killed in attacks at Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport as Houthis stepped up strikes in the country, Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority said.
"Obviously, we were disappointed to see the news this week," Bastian told CNBC in an interview. "Safety is is going to make the call."
He said that the airline will let customers know of its decision soon.
Delta is planning to operate the Atlanta-Riyadh flight daily from Oct. 23 to Oct. 30 before moving to three-times-a-week service. When it announced the route earlier this year, Delta said it would be the first nonstop service between the U.S. and Riyadh operated by a U.S. airline.
