FAA issues air alert for flights over Saudi Arabia, urges US airlines to exercise extreme caution

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) urged U.S. airlines on Sunday to exercise extreme caution when operating within or flying over Saudi Arabian airspace, warning that the escalation of military hostilities and disruptions to navigation systems could endanger aircraft. "Threats could pose a potential risk to aircraft at all altitudes, including overflight, the arrival, and departure phases of flight," the FAA stated in its advisory, which will remain in effect until Dec. 10.

The alert came shortly after Riyadh Airport was paralyzed following an attack that left at least 12 dead and 309 injured, some in critical condition, according to a report from Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), cited by various international and U.S. media outlets. Among the dead are four Saudis and one American.

According to The New York Times, this was the deadliest incident in the Arabian Gulf since February, when Washington and Israel began their war with the regime of Iran. The Houthis, a Yemeni militia allied with Iran, claimed responsibility for the attack through the head of their press office, who posted on X that the group "shut down Riyadh International Airport."

The flight-tracking service Flightradar24 reported significant disruptions at three of Saudi Arabia's busiest airports. According to reports, operations at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh were suspended following the attacks.

King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah experienced numerous delays and the cancellation of 156 flights, equivalent to 20% of scheduled services, while another 374 flights were delayed, representing 49% of the airport's expected air traffic.

Meanwhile, at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, ground operations were reportedly suspended. No departures were recorded over a two-hour period, while only three arrivals were recorded over a four-hour interval.