Foreign airlines bypassed Saudi skies.

Foreign airlines bypassed Saudi skies.

Wall Street Journal: Many airlines that saw Saudi skies as a safe corridor before Saudi airports were targeted by Yemen have now been forced to reroute some of their flights. British Airways is diverting more flights from Mumbai to London via Central Asia to move away from Saudi skies. Indian airlines have also changed their flight routes to Europe so that instead of going through the center of Saudi Arabia, they use the routes closer to the northern borders of this country and the area around the Syrian capital. Economically, any change of direction in aviation is not just a line on the map; Rather, it means an increase in flight time, more fuel consumption, additional pressure on the crew and the plane, changes in transit fees in the airspace, and even an increase in insurance costs. After two weeks, Saudi Arabia reopened both Riyadh airport terminals, but the International Action Group, which works in the field of aviation security, warned that Saudi skies are not safe at any altitude.