RIYADH: To his colleagues at Saudia, Capt. Hamoud bin Ali Alkalthami left a legacy of dedication. To one transport safety official who knew him personally, he was a man of good character. Tributes to the Saudi pilot have followed his death in an attack at King Khalid International Airport on Thursday, Oct. 8.<\/p>\n
Alkalthami was killed in the line of duty at the Riyadh airport, where he served as a captain for the national airline.<\/p>\n
Saudi Arabia\u2019s civil aviation authority said the airport suffered two attacks that killed three Saudi nationals. The first struck airport facilities; the second targeted a Saudia aircraft, injuring residents of several nationalities. Their injuries ranged from minor to critical.<\/p>\n
In a statement released Friday, Saudia offered condolences to Alkalthami\u2019s family, relatives and colleagues.<\/p>\n
\u201cSaudia honors his memory with deep respect and appreciation, recognizing his contributions throughout his career with the national flag carrier and the lasting impression he left on his colleagues,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n
Saudia CEO Ibrahim Al-Omar paid tribute on X to the pilot\u2019s professional record and the memories he left behind.<\/p>\n
\u201cMay God have mercy on our colleague, Captain Hamoud Al-Kalthami, who has passed into God\u2019s mercy after a professional career replete with dedication and sincerity, leaving behind a fine legacy and cherished memories in our hearts,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn behalf of myself and the members of the Board of Directors of the Saudi Group and its employees, I extend our deepest condolences and sincere solace to his family, relatives, and colleagues.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tai Al-Shammari, chief executive of the National Transport Safety Center, recalled knowing Alkalthami personally.<\/p>\n
\u201cMay God have mercy on Captain Hamoud and grant him a spacious place in His gardens.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew the deceased personally, and I sensed in him a good character and excellent conduct.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy deepest condolences and sympathies to his noble family, relatives, and colleagues, asking God to envelop him in His vast mercy, and to inspire his family and loved ones with patience and solace.\u201d<\/p>\n
Riyadh Air extended condolences to Saudia and to the \u201cfamily, loved ones, and colleagues of Captain Ali Alkalthami,\u201d writing on X that \u201ctheir thoughts and prayers are with the family and colleagues during this difficult time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alongside the personal tributes came condemnation from governments abroad.<\/p>\n
Global Affairs Canada wrote on X: \u201cCanada condemns in the strongest terms repeated Houthi strikes affecting Saudi Arabia\u2019s international airports & civilian infrastructure. These strikes, which have resulted in multiple civilian deaths & injuries, violate Saudi Arabia\u2019s sovereignty & threaten regional stability.<\/p>\n
\u201cAttacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure are unacceptable. Canada stands in full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and supports its right to protect its territory and population.\u201d<\/p>\n
India\u2019s Ministry of External Affairs also expressed solidarity with the Kingdom.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe targeting of civilian infrastructure is completely unacceptable. We express our deepest condolences to the families of those who have lost their loved ones. We wish speedy recovery for those injured. We express solidarity and stand with the people and government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jordan\u2019s Foreign Ministry described the attack as a \u201cblatant breach of international law and the United Nations Charter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Its spokesman, Ambassador Fuad Al-Majali, reaffirmed Jordan\u2019s solidarity with Saudi Arabia and offered condolences to the Kingdom\u2019s government, its people and the victims\u2019 families. He wished the injured a speedy recovery.<\/p>\n
Romania\u2019s Foreign Ministry said on X: \u201cSuch attacks against civilians and critical infrastructure are completely unacceptable. We convey our deepest sympathy to the families of the victims and we wish all injured people a speedy recovery.\u201d<\/p>\n
As of Friday afternoon, Alkalthami was the only publicly named victim among the three Saudi citizens killed.<\/p>\n
Saudia said its flights and operations at King Khalid International Airport had returned to normal by 6 p.m. Thursday. The airline continued to monitor schedules and update passengers through its official channels.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
RIYADH: To his colleagues at Saudia, Capt. Hamoud bin Ali Alkalthami left a legacy of dedication. To one transport safety official who knew him personally, he was a man of good character. Tributes to the Saudi pilot have followed his death in an attack at King Khalid International Airport on Thursday, Oct. 8. Alkalthami was killed in the line of duty at the Riyadh airport, where he served as a captain for the national airline. Saudi Arabia\u2019s civil aviation authority said the airport suffered two attacks that killed three Saudi nationals. The first struck airport facilities; the second targeted a<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":60548,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[224],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-60545","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kingdom"],"yoast_head":"\n