New Delhi/Ground Bureau — Amid escalating tensions and war-like conditions in the Middle East skies, a major crisis has emerged regarding the safety of international travelers. An Air India flight heading to Riyadh had to be called back midway due to escalating security threats. Initial reports suggest that this emergency decision was taken following news of fresh missile attacks and drone activities by Houthi rebels near the Aden airport in Yemen and the Riyadh region in Saudi Arabia. This sudden turn of events has caused immense panic among passengers and their families.
According to available information, the flight was cruising towards its destination when threat alerts were received from the airspace near the Yemen-Saudi border. Several West Asian media sources claimed that Houthi rebels once again targeted strategic locations and fuel depots. The intensity of these attacks was so severe that flight movements at several regional airports had to be halted immediately. Air India pilots exercised extreme caution, contacted air traffic control, and prudently decided to turn the aircraft back.
Airstrikes on Aden Airport shake West Asia
Looking at regional conditions, Aden Airport in Yemen and Riyadh Airport in Saudi Arabia have recently become the new epicenter of conflict. Houthi rebels have launched multiple missiles in various areas, severely disrupting civilian life and air routes. Flying through this airspace has become extremely hazardous. International aviation companies are now rapidly altering their routes over the Middle East to avoid any catastrophic incidents.
Meanwhile, reports of Russia's controversial 'Doomsday Plane' spotted in Iran have further heightened global political tensions. These combined developments are directly impacting ordinary citizens residing and traveling in Gulf nations. The Saudi military has also launched massive retaliatory airstrikes on Houthi hideouts, fueling the flames of war across the entire region.
