flydubai cancels more Saudi flights until November 1 as Etihad suspensions run to November 5
flydubai has cancelled all flights to Riyadh, Dammam and Abha up to and including November 1 because of the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, while Etihad's suspensions on Saudi routes run until November 5.
Dubai-based carrier flydubai has cancelled all of its flights to three Saudi Arabian cities — Abha, Dammam and Riyadh — up to and including November 1, the airline confirmed on Friday, as the fallout from this week's Houthi missile and drone attacks on the kingdom spread across Gulf aviation.
In its statement, flydubai said the cancellations to the three cities were due to the regional disruption, with the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia forcing carriers to reassess the safety of routes into the kingdom's main airports. Passengers booked on the affected services are being contacted about their options.
The suspension is partial rather than total. flydubai said it is still operating flights to other Saudi destinations, including Jeddah, Medina, Taif, Tabuk, Al-Qassim and Ha'il, meaning its network into the kingdom's western and central cities continues while the capital, the Eastern Province gateway of Dammam and the southern city of Abha are paused.
Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways is taking a longer pause. The flag carrier has cancelled its Riyadh and Dammam flights through November 5 as the situation continues to unfold, and its cancellations also cover four Jeddah services — flights EY601, EY602, EY603 and EY604 — according to the latest airline updates.
The decisions follow a dangerous week in Saudi skies. On Thursday, Saudi air defences intercepted and destroyed two Houthi ballistic missiles over Riyadh, with debris injuring one person, and downed further missiles aimed at the western region and the Eastern Province; on Friday a Houthi drone was destroyed over the Makkah region. Airlines treat such interceptions — and the debris and airspace closures that come with them — as a direct operational risk.
flydubai and Etihad are far from alone. India's IndiGo has cancelled flights on Saudi routes until November 14, while Air India and Air India Express have suspended several services amid continued attacks, and carriers across the region have been redrawing schedules day by day as NOTAMs and airspace advice change.
The suspensions stand in sharp contrast to the UAE's own aviation momentum. Dubai International has been operating at full capacity since the regional airspace reopened, with transfer traffic leading a rebound, and industry figures released this month showed UAE airport seat capacity climbing to 7.2 million seats in October, up 23 percent year on year. The disruption, in other words, is specific to Saudi routes rather than a problem at UAE airports themselves.
Other regional services remain affected by the wider tensions: Iranian airlines' services to the UAE have not resumed, and flydubai's codeshare to Tel Aviv has been suspended since an incident there on September 30, adding to the patchwork of paused routes passengers now face.
Airlines say the Saudi suspensions will be reviewed as the security picture develops. Travellers booked to Riyadh, Dammam or Abha in the coming days are being advised to check their bookings before heading to the airport, and much will depend on whether the skies over the kingdom stay quiet — a single further attack could extend the pauses, while a calm weekend could allow schedules to restart on the dates the airlines have given.
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