The European Union Aviation Safety Agency advised planes to steer clear of Saudi airspace, according to a statement published on its website on Wednesday, in response to a recent surge in strikes by the Iran-aligned Houthis.
Get breaking news anytime, anywhere. Download the TOI app now!
The incident involving a flydubai airplane that was diverted on Wednesday is not included in the most recent advisory on Saudi Arabia, and the EASA stated that it will keep an eye on the situation to determine if the danger to EU airlines operating in the country has increased or decreased.
In a different bulletin, the EASA advised aircraft to avoid operating in Jordanian airspace at all altitudes and flight levels. This was a change from an advisory that was given earlier earlier just to remain cautious.
Additionally, the agency revised previous bulletins that advised avoiding the entire airspace of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman and extended until November 16 its warning to airlines to avoid the airspace over Lebanon, Iran, and Iraq as well as the territorial Gulf waters of those nations.
In the seven-month-old Middle East crisis, which began with US, and Israeli attacks on Iran, Tehran has used drones and missiles to attack US allies in the Gulf, while the Houthis in Yemen have attacked Saudi interests.
