Saudi airspace restrictions squeeze Europe-Asia flight corridors

Airspace restrictions over Saudi Arabia are adding to the strain on the southern corridor between Europe and Asia, a route already carrying extra traffic after other options closed.

Chris Dalby, head of intelligence at the Netherlands-based security consultancy Dyami Security Intelligence, said the timing is poor for carriers. "This comes at a bad time," he told a FlightGlobal sister publication. Houthi attacks on infrastructure in Saudi Arabia have put the southern route under pressure, he said.

European airlines have been barred from Russian airspace for several years. Traffic over Iran and Iraq has also been disrupted since the start of this year because of the war in the Middle East. That left carriers with few choices: a northern corridor through Turkey and Afghanistan, the southern route via Saudi Arabia, or paths near the Arctic Circle.

With the southern option more constrained, attention has shifted north. Dalby said that corridor has limited capacity and cannot absorb every flight without difficulty. "As a result, you see more cancellations and delays, and planes have to divert," he said.

He also pointed to the absence of air traffic control in Afghanistan, which complicates operations for airlines using the northern route. Flights there must take longer paths, driving up fuel consumption, flight times and operating costs, he said.

The source does not specify which carriers or routes are most affected, or how long the restrictions are expected to last.