UAE Flights: Etihad Extends Saudi Cancellations to 19 November

Flights between the UAE and Saudi Arabia are still disrupted, with Etihad Airways extending its cancellations to Riyadh and Dammam until 19 November. Passengers travelling in the region are being told to check their flight status before they leave for the airport.

The latest update, published on 13 November, shows a mixed picture. Some routes are running again, while others remain suspended. Airlines have pushed several return dates into late November, and a few carriers will not fly to Riyadh again until 2027.

The disruption follows weeks of tension in the region. More than a third of Saudi Arabia’s scheduled flights were cancelled at the height of the disruption, and at least 25 airlines have suspended or cut back their services to the kingdom.

Etihad extends Saudi cancellations to 19 November

Etihad Airways has cancelled all passenger and cargo flights between Abu Dhabi and Dammam, and between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, through Thursday, 19 November. The airline had already suspended the routes, and the new date pushes the return further back.

Emirates is also still adjusting its Saudi Arabia schedule from Dubai, with several services to Riyadh and Dammam cancelled. flydubai is slowly restoring its Saudi network, but some destinations are still affected. Air Arabia has cancelled selected services between Sharjah and Saudi Arabia.

The picture is not the same for every airline. Qatar Airways is resuming daily flights to Riyadh from 13 November, with daily services to Dammam due to start again on 14 November. That will be welcome news for travellers who have waited weeks for a direct flight.

Some airlines will not return until 2027

Other carriers have pushed their return dates much further out. British Airways has suspended its Riyadh service until 11 January 2027, and it has ended its London to Jeddah route. Cathay Pacific has delayed its return to Riyadh until 31 January 2027, its third postponement.

IndiGo, the Indian carrier, has suspended flights to Jeddah and Madinah until 21 November, and its Riyadh and Dammam services are suspended until 30 November. The airline says it is telling affected passengers directly.

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, the busiest airport in Saudi Arabia, has been operating under tight controls since it reopened on 18 October. Several airlines treat it as effectively closed for now, while services to Jeddah have largely continued. Dammam and Abha remain the hardest-hit airports after Riyadh.

Flights to Iran and Israel also affected

The disruption is not limited to Saudi Arabia. Flights between the UAE and Iran remain suspended for Iranian carriers, after the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority suspended them until further notice.

Services to Israel are also running under different rules. flydubai has suspended its Dubai to Tel Aviv services through at least late November, and Emirates has suspended its Dubai to Tel Aviv flights. Etihad, by contrast, still runs direct services between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has kept its conflict-zone bulletin for the region in force until 16 November. The bulletin covers airspace over the UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman, and it urges airlines to weigh the risks when they plan flights through the area.

What travellers should do now

Passengers with bookings in the region should not assume a confirmed ticket means the flight will run. Airlines are changing schedules at short notice, and some routes are running on reduced timetables.

Travellers should check the flight status directly with their airline before they travel to the airport. Those with cancelled flights should ask about a refund or a new booking, and check whether their travel insurance covers the disruption.

Flight disruption is not new this year. Earlier this month, Brazil Tornado Hits Chapecó Airport, Flights Suspended as Winds Reach 126 km/h showed how quickly a single event can ground flights and leave passengers stranded. The lesson is the same: check before you travel, and keep a backup plan ready.

Sources: Gulf News; House of Saud.