EU aviation agency widens Saudi airspace alert, citing growing risk from Houthi strikes

​The European Union Aviation ‌Safety Agency EASA ​said on Friday it recommended airlines not to operate in additional portions of Saudi airspace after Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis ‌attacked Riyadh airport.

In an updated conflict zone information bulletin for Saudi Arabia airspace, initially issued on September 30, the EU regulator said recent attacks had demonstrated the ability ‌and intent of the Houthis to strike targets deeper inside Saudi territory, including the ‌capital. EASA added a further area in north-western Saudi Arabia into the advisory. Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority said earlier on Friday that three Saudi nationals were killed and several people were injured in ⁠two attacks ​on King Khalid ⁠International Airport in Riyadh on Thursday.

The Houthis have renewed their threats against airlines flying to Saudi Arabia ⁠and said on Thursday they had struck the capital's airport with two cruise missiles. "These recurrent ​missile and drone attacks, together with the activation of air-defence systems, create an ⁠increased risk of misidentification of civil aircraft, as well as risks associated with missile and drone overflights, ⁠interception activity ​and falling debris," EASA said.

OPSGROUP, a membership-based organisation with almost 10,000 aviation professionals that shares flight risk information, sent a "do not fly" warning for Saudi Arabia ⁠to its members on Friday, citing risks of sustained missile attacks and "misjudgment" in defensive ⁠responses. "We now recommend ⁠avoiding operations in Saudi Arabia entirely, including the use of Saudi airports as enroute alternates," it said in the memo shared ‌with Reuters.