The latest airline schedule changes highlight an uneven recovery in Saudi Arabia’s aviation network following widespread flight cancellations. flydubai has extended its suspension of flights to Riyadh, Dammam and Abha until 1 November, as airlines continue to adjust their Saudi Arabian operations amid regional security concerns.
The extension, reported on 29 October following comments from an airline spokesperson, supersedes earlier schedules that had indicated services to the three destinations could resume on 30 October.
The airline said it was monitoring developments and would notify affected passengers of changes to their bookings.
Emirates Maintains Planned Jeddah Resumption
Emirates had scheduled its Dubai–Jeddah services to resume on 30 October, according to airline schedule information reported by The National on 25 October.
Its flights to Riyadh and Dammam were scheduled to resume on 8 November, while services to Medina were continuing.
The planned resumption dates remain subject to operational changes. The operation of individual flights scheduled for 30 October had not been independently confirmed at the time of this report.
Thousands of Flights Cancelled
The disruption has had a substantial impact on Saudi Arabia’s aviation network.
According to aviation analytics company Cirium, cited by Reuters on 26 October, 4,071 of the 4,736 flights scheduled at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport between 8 and 25 October were cancelled.
The figure represented approximately 86% of scheduled flights at the airport during that period.
Across Saudi Arabia, more than 7,800 departures were cancelled over the same dates, equivalent to approximately 45% of scheduled services.
King Khalid International Airport partially reopened on 25 October, allowing domestic flights and limited international operations to resume.
Etihad Maintains Restrictions
Etihad Airways has separately extended cancellations affecting its services between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh and Dammam through 5 November.
The airline has also cancelled four specified Jeddah services — EY601, EY602, EY603 and EY604 — through the same date.
These differing airline schedules demonstrate that the partial reopening of an airport does not necessarily mean all international services have returned.
Passengers Advised to Verify Flight Status
The continuing adjustments affect travellers using Saudi Arabia’s international connections, including passengers travelling between the Gulf, India and Southeast Asia.
Airlines may revise schedules at short notice as they assess operating conditions.
Passengers should therefore confirm the status of their specific flights directly with their airlines before travelling to the airport.
The coming days will provide a clearer indication of whether planned resumptions can proceed and whether further schedule changes will be necessary.
MyAviation Magazine | Middle East Aviation & Airline Operations
