The Wall Street Journal reported that new warnings regarding the safety of Saudi airspace, following Yemeni military operations, have prompted international airlines to reassess their flight routes and reduce the number of flights passing through the Kingdom’s airspace.

The newspaper quoted international aviation security specialist OPSGROUP as warning that Saudi airspace is unsafe at all altitudes, in a development reflecting growing concerns over the safety of air navigation in the region.

According to the report, international airlines have begun rerouting flights away from Saudi airspace, opting for alternative routes through Central Asia and other areas, including airspace near Damascus.

The report noted that British Airways has begun diverting more of its flights between Mumbai and London through Central Asia to avoid Saudi airspace, after previously continuing to rely on these routes despite repeated Iranian strikes.

Air India has also changed the routes of its Europe-bound flights, directing them along routes near the Kingdom’s northern borders and around Damascus, rather than crossing central Saudi Arabia.

These developments indicate that recent Yemeni operations have prompted airlines to reassess their calculations regarding the use of Saudi airspace. Such route changes pose operational and logistical challenges, with the potential to increase flight times and costs.