FAA warns U.S. airlines of safety risks over Saudi Arabia after attacks
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The Federal Aviation Administration told U.S. airlines to exercise caution when flying in or around Saudi Arabia after deadly attacks claimed by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis, which have shut down the airport in the Saudi capital.
King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, remains closed as of Monday after strikes that started last week. The attacks escalated Saturday, when a projectile struck a passenger terminal at the airport, officials said, killing at least 12 people and wounding more than 300.
Airlines suspended flights to the airport, some for the rest of the week.
The U.S., Australia and other countries advised citizens against travel to the region.
The FAA late Sunday said pilots should "exercise caution" in or around Saudi Arabia "due to safety-of-flight risks associated with ongoing military activities" and navigation systems. It said the threats could be a potential risk "to aircraft at all altitudes." The FAA's warning is in effect until Dec. 10.
Most U.S. airlines don't fly to Saudi Arabia, but the country's flights and passenger counts had climbed in recent years. The route between Riyadh to Jeddah in the country's west was the fifth-busiest in the world last year, according to aviation-data firm OAG.
Delta Air Lines had been scheduled to launch its first nonstop flight from Atlanta to Riyadh on Oct. 23 but the carrier on Monday said it would delay that service until March.
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