British Airways yesterday suspended all flights to Saudi Arabia following warnings of an imminent attempt by Islamic militants to shoot down one of its aircraft.
The move followed a series of gun battles in the kingdom as Saudi security forces attempted to round up suspected militants.
BA took its decision after talks with the Department for Transport because of ”heightened security concerns in the region”.
The airline’s safety and security director, Geoff Want, said: ”As a matter of precaution we have decided to suspend all flights to Saudi Arabia for the time being and we will continue to liaise closely with the British government.”
Specific evidence of a threat to BA is believed to have been uncovered during clashes between the authorities and suspected militants that began on Sunday and culminated in a gun battle on Tuesday that left at least three police and one suspect dead.
A security analyst in London who asked not to be named said warnings of threats to aircraft were also partly based on information from Ali al-Ghamdi, the alleged ringleader of the May 12 bombings in Riyadh, who gave himself up on June 26.
There are also new fears about everyday items such as camera flash guns being converted into stun guns for use in aircraft hijackings. This follows the discovery of prototype devices during a raid on a safe house at an undisclosed location, the analyst said.
The pardoning last week of six Britons who had been imprisoned in the kingdom on terrorism charges has caused widespread anger among Saudi citizens across the political spectrum. Even among Saudis who believe the Britons were innocent, it is seen as a case of applying one law for westerners and another for everyone else.
There are also complaints that since May 12 many of the kingdom’s security forces have been diverted towards protecting foreigners in compounds, leading to an increase in crime elsewhere.
BA normally operates four flights a week to Riyadh and four a week to Jeddah. – Guardian Unlimited Â