Turkish flights diverted from Istanbul to Riyadh

Several flights traveling from Istanbul to Riyadh were forced to return to their departure airports early Thursday morning. Turkish Airlines and AJet flights were among those diverted back to Istanbul.

Specifically, Turkish Airlines flight TK246 returned to Istanbul just 35 minutes after takeoff. Flight TK140 also diverted back to Istanbul after approximately two hours of flight time while over northern Saudi Arabian airspace. An AJet flight (VF213) also returned to Istanbul 50 minutes after departure. Additionally, a Pegasus Airlines flight scheduled for early Thursday was delayed by several hours.

These disruptions follow announcements from the Yemeni Armed Forces regarding drone and ballistic missile strikes targeting airports in Abha, Jazan, and Najran within Saudi Arabia. Consequently, airlines have been advised to avoid Saudi Arabian airspace, with the exception of routes to Mecca and Medina.