Etihad Airways cancels Delhi-Abu Dhabi flight after Houthi attack on Riyadh, passengers struck for hours
Meanwhile tensions soared in the West Asia after Houthi attack on the Saudi capital Riyadh, prompting travel advisory and disrupting air travel in the region.
PTC News Desk: Around 200 passengers had to face a harrowing time at the Delhi airport after Etihad Airways cancelled the Abu Dhabi-bound flight over what the airlines described as a 'technical issue' with the Boeing 787 aircraft.
Meanwhile tensions soared in the West Asia after Houthi attack on the Saudi capital Riyadh, prompting travel advisory and disrupting air travel in the region. Late on Saturday night, travel disruption played out thousands of kilometres away from Riyadh, at Delhi’s international airport. Around 200 passengers were deboarded from the aircraft, with the crew announcing that there was a technical issue with the aircraft, according to the passengers.
Few hours later, the airline announced cancellation of the flight leaving hundreds of passengers stranded at the Delhi airport.
According to flight tracking website Flightradar24.com, the flight was to be operated with a Boeing 787-9 aircraft.
Specific details about the technical issue could not be immediately ascertained.
Attack on Saudi Arabia
Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed they targeted “sensitive” locations in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh with missiles and drones. The claim came hours after flames and a large cloud of black smoke were seen near Riyadh airport on Saturday.
Saudi authorities issued air raid alerts to residents through their mobile phones overnight, warning of possible aerial attacks. It was the first time such alerts had been issued in Riyadh since fighting between Saudi forces and the Iran-backed Houthis intensified in July.
Explosions were heard in Riyadh as firefighters worked to put out a fire involving a fuel tank near King Khalid International Airport. The tank reportedly carried the logo of Saudi oil giant Aramco.
Saudi civil defence authorities also issued alerts to residents of Riyadh, Jeddah and other cities, including Yanbu, a major industrial port that houses important oil facilities.
The Saudi-led military coalition fighting the Houthis said its air defence systems had intercepted and destroyed a missile launched by the Yemeni group toward Riyadh.