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

Usually at 38,000ft / London
Joined September 2010
Alex Macheras retweeted
Saudi Arabia’s main airport was gearing up to reopen as early as Sunday after operations had been disrupted by a spate of attacks by Houthi rebels bloomberg.com/news/articles/…
12
14
6
143
74,679
Sydney was first promised a second airport in 1946. I’m in NSW, where today Western Sydney International, a 24/7 airport, opened to commercial flights. Some 80 years in the making 🗞️ My Gulf Times column on what it means for the Kangaroo Route ✈️🇦🇺🦘 gulf-times.com/article/73633…
5
4
3
73
6,807
Alex Macheras retweeted
Western Sydney International Airport is officially open to passenger traffic! @JetstarAirways has the honor of carrying the first passengers aboard #JQ362. flightradar24.com/JST362/424…
6
75
4
938
75,531
Alex Macheras retweeted
Flights to Jeddah currently being held. Last landing was approximately 90 minutes ago. flightradar24.com/airport/je…
7
80
8
625
235,606
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”
Replying to @ksagaca
#Statement | An attack targeted King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. #GACA
2
4
1
23
5,803
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.
Replying to @ksagaca
#Statement | An attack targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. #GACA
5
16
5,316
Alex Macheras retweeted
🚨 Breaking: Saudi Arabia intercepts cruise missile in vicinity of Riyadh airport, projectile hit Terminal 4 causing a fire
3
10
3
28
26,648
Alex Macheras retweeted
Flights bound for Dammam‚ including one that was originally scheduled to Riyadh, are currently holding away from the airfield. flightradar24.com/airport/dm…
3
65
9
421
201,468
Major attacks to Riyadh’s main international airport have continued, latest statement below 👇🏽
Replying to @ksagaca
#Statement | An attack targeted King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, and operations are temporarily suspended. #GACA
2
8
4,840
👇🏽
We have updated our Travel Advice for #SaudiArabia following an incident at King Khalid International Airport ow.ly/yyYl50ZWAvv
4
5,640
👇🏽
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: sa.usembassy.gov/security-al…
1
11,127
رويترز عن مصادر: سماع دوي انفجار قوي في مطار بالعاصمة السعودية الرياض
595
444
163
2,463
1,572,824
تنويه هام من مطار الملك خالد الدولي: نود إحاطة المسافرين بضرورة التواصل المباشر مع الناقلات الجوية والتحقق من حالة الرحلة قبل التوجه إلى المطار -
348
232
84
2,062
958,715
Statement from #Saudia
10
117
9
376
100,872
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.
Replying to @ksagaca
#Statement Two attacks targeted King Khalid International Airport facilities and a Saudia aircraft. #GACA
1
2
1
23
6,108
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.
British Airways flight from London turns back after 27,000 feet drop trib.al/BG6ROR4
Readers added context they thought people might want to know
British Airways BA295 made a controlled emergency descent from ~37,000ft to ~9,000ft due to a reported cabin pressurization issue per standard procedure and crew data before circling to burn fuel and landing safely at Heathrow. aeroinside.com/22235/baw-b772… simpleflying.com/british-airway… theguardian.com/business/2026/… news18.com/world/british-…
4
26
1
473
34,608
What happens when a flight crew declare either ‘7700’ (emergency) or ‘7500’ (unlawful interference/hijacking) from a commercial airline jet? 👇🏽
1
9
57
6,684
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.
1
2
11
4,681
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
4
24
6
76
22,745