Riyadh's outbound international air cargo capacity dropped by a third in 24 hours as attacks on Saudi airports this week pushed airlines to suspend services, removing both freighter lift and bellyhold space from the market.

Data captured by Rotate shows outbound capacity from Riyadh on freighters and widebody passenger aircraft fell 34% over 24 hours, to 848 tonnes. Over 72 hours, the decline reached 26% against the equivalent periods a week earlier.

The reduction has not hit freighters and passenger bellyhold equally. Freighter-only capacity out of Riyadh fell 10% outbound, meaning widebody passenger suspensions account for the bulk of the lost lift.

What does the disruption mean for peak season?

The timing compounds the problem. The capacity loss lands as the air cargo market heads into peak season, when shippers and forwarders typically compete for already-tight freighter and bellyhold space.

The attack-driven suspensions remove capacity from two channels simultaneously:

• Dedicated freighter operations, down 10% outbound
• Widebody passenger bellyhold, the largest single source of the overall 34% decline

With Riyadh's total outbound lift now standing at 848 tonnes per day, forwarders routing cargo through the Saudi capital face a materially tighter supply base than a week ago, and any further escalation that widens carrier suspensions would deepen the shortfall heading into peak demand.