The Smart Marty Sky Dispatch
UAE flight cancellations continue as airlines suspend Saudi routes until November 19
Flight disruptions continued across the UAE on November 9, with airlines cancelling services to several Saudi Arabian destinations amid ongoing security concerns. Etihad Airways has resumed its daily flights to Jeddah but suspended services to Riyadh and Dammam until November 19.
UAE-based carriers continued suspending Saudi routes as security concerns in the region linger, with Etihad Airways and flydubai among those adjusting schedules. The disruptions affect services between the United Arab Emirates and Saudi destinations, and come as part of ongoing route management in response to perceived risks.
Etihad Airways has resumed its daily flights between the UAE and Jeddah as of November 6, but departures to Riyadh and Dammam remain cancelled through November 19 according to the latest timetable. Flydubai has likewise halted several services to Dammam through November 10, and has suspended flights to Abha and Riyadh through November 17.
On November 9, cancellations impacted multiple Saudi-linked routes, including Saudi carrier Flynas operations to and from Riyadh and Gassim, and Riyadh Air services from Riyadh. International services to Manila and Nairobi were also affected on that day by other carriers. The disruptions were reported alongside delays at major UAE airports.
Delays were observed at Dubai International Airport, with Emirates services arriving late from destinations such as Copenhagen, Brisbane, Johannesburg, Dallas, Beirut and Los Angeles, ranging from 25 to 59 minutes. Flydubai noted delays on flights from Samara, Yekaterinburg and Gassim, with a Saint Petersburg service delayed by over two hours and a Minsk service delayed by more than three hours.
At Abu Dhabi, Etihad flights from Tel Aviv experienced delays of about 35 to 40 minutes. Air Arabia departures from Kochi, Calicut, Thiruvananthapuram and Chennai also faced delays. Sharjah saw delays on Air Arabia services from Peshawar, Thiruvananthapuram and Colombo of up to about an hour and 10 minutes.
The airline guidance advised Indian passengers traveling from the UAE to verify flight status with their carriers before heading to the airport, particularly for those booked on Saudi routes or connections through Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Sharjah.