US tells airlines to take care flying to or over Saudi Arabia

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has told American airlines to exercise caution when flying to or over Saudi Arabia, citing threats from military activity and interference with navigation systems, after deadly Houthi strikes on Riyadh’s international airport.

“Threats could pose a potential risk to aircraft at all altitudes, including overflight, the arrival, and departure phases of flight,” the FAA said, warning of a “potentially hazardous situation”, ARY News reported, citing Reuters.

The notice

• How long: the Notice to Airmen runs until December 10
• Who: US airlines and operators of US-registered aircraft
• Why: military activity and navigation system interference following the attacks on King Khalid International Airport

The attacks

The warning follows two strikes in two days on Riyadh’s airport:

• Saturday: a strike claimed by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis killed 13 people and wounded more than 300, the deadliest attack in the kingdom in more than a decade
• Sunday: a fresh projectile hit the airport, killing one person, a Pakistani resident, and wounding 11, Saudi Arabia’s civil aviation authority said, Dawn reported

Those killed on Saturday included four Saudis, two Bangladeshis and citizens of the US, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan, with 309 wounded, and India said one of its citizens later died of his wounds. The Houthis also claimed an attack on Dammam airport in the east, and threatened to keep targeting the kingdom’s transport hubs, calling them “a theatre of operations for our forces”. The Saudi-led coalition said early on Monday it had intercepted a ballistic missile heading for Khamis Mushait, home to a major military base, and called Saturday’s attack a “full-fledged war crime”.

Airlines on hold

Riyadh airport stayed closed at least until Monday evening, US time. US carrier Delta Air Lines is due to start direct flights from Atlanta to Riyadh on October 23; its chief executive Ed Bastian told CNBC last week that “safety is going to make the call”. Other major US airlines serve Riyadh through codeshare partners, and FedEx runs a freighter service to the kingdom six times a week.

The US, Canadian, German and Spanish embassies have told their citizens to avoid Riyadh airport, and Australia has urged its citizens to shelter in place.

Pakistan stands with the kingdom

Pakistan has condemned the attacks and pledged its full support to Saudi Arabia under the Makkah defence pact. A Pakistani resident was among those killed on Sunday, and October marks the start of the high season for Umrah pilgrims, when millions of Muslims travel to Makkah.

“Saudi Arabia is so large that it’s simply impossible for them to consistently defend themselves against Houthi attacks,” security analyst Thomas Juneau of the University of Ottawa told AFP.

Why it matters

Flights in and out of Saudi Arabia carry Pakistani workers, families and pilgrims every day. Warnings from aviation regulators can lead airlines to cancel or reroute flights, raising costs and delays for travellers. Read our reports on the Houthi strike on Riyadh airport and on the Saudia plane fire and flight suspensions.

This article draws on reporting by ARY News, Dawn, Reuters and AFP.