Brussels, 30 September (H.S.):

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has issued fresh safety guidance to airlines operating in or around Saudi Arabian airspace following a recent escalation in attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the region.

In its latest bulletin, the agency said it was closely monitoring the security situation in Saudi Arabia and would continue to assess whether the level of risk to European airlines was increasing or declining.

The latest EASA advisory does not refer to Wednesday’s Flydubai aircraft incident. Instead, the agency said it would maintain continuous surveillance of developments affecting Saudi airspace to determine whether the security environment warrants any change in its assessment for European operators.

EASA has also strengthened its guidance concerning Jordanian airspace. In a separate bulletin, the agency recommended that European airlines refrain from operating flights in Jordanian airspace at any altitude or flight level.

The latest recommendation marks a tightening of the agency’s previous guidance, which had advised airlines to exercise caution while operating in the country’s airspace.

The advisories come amid heightened security concerns across the Middle East, with the regional situation continuing to evolve rapidly.

EASA said it would continue monitoring developments across the region and reassessing the potential risks to civil aviation as new information becomes available.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar