FAA Warns Airlines About Flights Near Saudi Arabia

The main airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, remained closed on Monday after weekend attacks, and the FAA is warning US airlines about flying into or even near the nation. "Threats could pose a potential risk to aircraft at all altitudes, including overflight, the arrival, and departure phases of flight," the FAA said, reports Reuters. US airlines generally don't fly to Saudi Arabia, notes CNBC, though Delta is planning to launch a regular flight from Atlanta to Riyadh later this month. As of Monday, those plans were still a go.

It was not clear when the Riyadh airport might reopen. Houthi rebels aligned with Iran launched weekend missile attacks that killed at least 14 and wounded more than 300. Preliminary reports suggest the Houthis first fired drones, which were followed by cruise and ballistic missiles, per the AP. Why Saudi defense systems were unable to intercept the missiles remains under investigation.