The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Sunday advised American airlines to exercise caution when flying to or over Saudi Arabia, citing security threats linked to ongoing military activities and interference with navigation systems.
The advisory, which remains in effect until December 10, follows attacks launched from Yemen targeting Riyadh International Airport on Saturday and Sunday.
In its notice, the FAA highlighted the risks to aviation safety, stating that “these threats could pose a potential danger to aircraft at all altitudes, including during overflights of Saudi airspace and during arrival and departure phases.”
On Sunday, the Yemeni Armed Forces reiterated their warning to all aviation companies, experts, staff, and travelers against using Saudi airports and airspace. They reminded all parties that these areas are subject to targeting and serve as an operational theater for the Yemeni Armed Forces—with the exception of the airports in Mecca and Medina.
Additionally, the Foreign Ministry in Sanaa advised airlines bound for Saudi airports to coordinate with the Yemeni Humanitarian Operations Center, noting that such coordination would absolve the airlines of moral and legal liability.
These Yemeni strikes come as part of the ongoing response to the Saudi aggression and its direct targeting of civilian sites in the governorates of Sana’a, Sa’dah, Taiz, Hajjah, and Ma’rib, as well as a response to the blockade imposed on the country.
Source: Agencies (translated and edited by Al-Manar)