The Houthi rebels in Yemen issued a warning to airlines on Monday, October 5, 2026, stating that Saudi airspace could become a military operations zone. This comes as fighting in Yemen has intensified again, with Saudi Arabia backing an offensive aimed at reclaiming territory from the rebels. Since September 30, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has advised airlines to avoid part of the Jeddah Flight Information Region (FIR), a designated airspace area used for air traffic management, at all altitudes. The ongoing conflict in Yemen is now posing a new risk to commercial aviation in the Middle East. According to a statement from the Houthi-controlled Saba news agency, their Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC) urged airlines to stop using Saudi airspace, which they described as unsafe and a potential battlefield for their military operations. This warning is seen as a reaction to Saudi military actions in Yemen. The Houthi movement, which receives support from Iran, has been actively resisting Saudi-led forces. At the same time, the internationally recognized Yemeni government, backed by the Saudi air force, claims to have taken control of the Bab el-Mandeb strait, a key waterway connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. However, the Houthi rebels continue to challenge these claims, with fighting ongoing in the region. Saudi Arabia has conducted airstrikes on hundreds of targets in Yemen to support ground operations around the strait. These actions mark the resumption of hostilities after a ceasefire that had largely held since 2022. EASA had already anticipated the rising risks to aviation safety. On September 30, the agency issued a bulletin, valid until November 16, 2026, warning about the increased threat in the Jeddah FIR. It specified a particular area of airspace defined by specific navigation points and recommended that airlines avoid flying in that zone. In other parts of the region, EASA advised airlines to remain cautious, update risk assessments, and prepare for sudden changes in flight instructions. The agency also noted that the Houthi rebels have expanded the scope and frequency of their attacks on infrastructure in Saudi Arabia since September. These attacks have targeted energy, military, and aviation-related facilities in areas around Riyadh, Tabuk, and Yanbu, with the south and southwest of the country being especially vulnerable. For civilian aircraft, the risks are not only from direct attacks but also from the potential misidentification of planes due to missile and drone firings, which could lead to interception or debris falling. Thus, EASA’s warning to avoid certain areas applies even to aircraft flying at cruising altitude. This alert from EASA follows a broader pattern of airspace restrictions in the Middle East, which began after American and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, 2026, and Iran’s subsequent response. A separate EASA bulletin has advised avoiding airspace over the Persian Gulf in the FIRs of Bahrain, Kuwait, Doha, and the Emirates, except for flights arriving at or departing from affected airports. It also warns against flying over the Gulf of Oman in the FIR of Muscat west of the 58° East meridian.