European regulator expands no-fly zone over Saudi Arabia after Ansarallah strikes
Europe's EASA aviation safety body expanded its recommended no-operation zone for airlines in Saudi Arabian airspace after Yemen's Ansar Allah movement attacked Riyadh airport . The EU regulator updated a conflict zone bulletin, initially published on September 30, citing recent attacks as evidence of Ansar Allah's capability and intent to strike deeper into Saudi territory, including the capital.
EASA specifically added an area in northwestern Saudi Arabia to its advisory. Ansar Allah renewed threats against airlines operating in Saudi Arabia and stated on Thursday that it had struck King Khalid International Airport with two cruise missiles. Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority reported earlier on Friday that three Saudi nationals were killed and several people injured in two attacks
on the airport on Thursday. EASA noted that these recurrent missile and drone attacks, alongside the activation of air-defense systems, create an increased risk of misidentification for civilian aircraft. Mainstream outlets like The Independent frame these events primarily as a threat to commercial aviation, omitting the broader context of the US-backed Saudi war on Yemen. This framing reduces
Ansar Allah's actions to mere 'attacks' or 'threats' rather than a retaliatory response to a conflict that began nine years ago. The continuous bombardment of Yemen by Saudi-led forces, supported by the United States, has caused an estimated 377,000 deaths by the end of 2021, with children suffering disproportionately from malnutrition and disease under blockade conditions. Ansar Allah has