Etihad Airways also maintained its suspension of all passenger and cargo services between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh and Dammam through November 19, extending uncertainty for travellers and freight operators serving two major Saudi commercial centres.
Flight status listings identified flydubai services FZ883, FZ869, FZ863 and FZ867 from Dubai to Dammam as cancelled on Tuesday. Their corresponding return flights, FZ884, FZ870, FZ864 and FZ868, were also listed as cancelled, indicating continuing disruption in both directions.
The cancellations came as flydubai’s published booking information had indicated November 10 as the anticipated resumption date for Dammam services. However, the individual flight cancellations showed that the planned reopening had not translated into normal operations across the route.
Flydubai’s services between Dubai and Riyadh and between Dubai and Abha remained suspended through November 16, with flights listed for November 17. The airline continued operating services to several other Saudi destinations, including Jeddah, Madinah, Tabuk and Taif.
Etihad’s restrictions are broader on the affected routes because they cover cargo operations alongside passenger flights. The airline confirmed that services between Abu Dhabi and both Riyadh and Dammam would remain cancelled through Thursday, November 19, citing continuing regional operational disruption.
The suspension removes Etihad’s direct freight connections from Abu Dhabi to the two Saudi cities for the specified period, requiring businesses dependent on those services to consider alternative arrangements. It also affects corporate passengers travelling between the UAE capital and Riyadh, a major destination for business and government travel.
Etihad has not announced an earlier restoration date for either route. Its published advisory states that the operating environment remains subject to change and that further adjustments to flight schedules are possible.
Jeddah, meanwhile, continues to receive services from both Abu Dhabi and Dubai, providing an important distinction between Saudi destinations affected by the disruption.
Etihad scheduled four services between Abu Dhabi and Jeddah to resume from November 6. These comprise EY601 and EY603 departing Abu Dhabi, alongside EY602 and EY604 operating from Jeddah. The airline said its remaining Jeddah flights would continue according to their published schedules.
Emirates has also maintained selected Dubai-Jeddah connections, although operations across its wider Saudi network have faced interruptions.
Flight information for Tuesday showed Emirates services EK817 and EK819 from Dubai to Riyadh cancelled, while Dubai-Jeddah service EK805 departed. The differing flight statuses illustrate how disruption continues to vary between individual services rather than applying uniformly across every Saudi destination.
Emirates had listed several cancellations on November 9, including Dubai-Riyadh services EK815, EK817 and EK819, together with Dubai-Dammam flights EK821, EK823 and EK827. Those listings applied specifically to Monday and did not establish the operating status of every corresponding flight on Tuesday.
Other UAE carriers have experienced similar disruption. Air Arabia cancelled selected Sharjah services to Riyadh and Abha on Monday, while its flights serving Dammam, Jeddah and Madinah were listed as operating.
Saudi airline flynas also recorded cancellations affecting Dubai-Riyadh services on Monday. Riyadh Air’s RX243 service from Riyadh to Dubai was listed as cancelled on Tuesday.
The continuing disruption follows restrictions affecting Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport, which partially reopened on October 25 after attacks by Yemen’s Houthi movement. Airport operations have remained constrained, complicating the restoration of international services.
Some Saudi Arabian Airlines services serving Riyadh have been redirected through alternative airports, including Al Qassim and Dammam, with onward ground transport arranged for passengers travelling to the capital.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s conflict-zone bulletin covering Saudi airspace remains effective through November 16 unless reviewed earlier. Such advisories provide operators with information relevant to flight planning and aviation safety assessments.
Airlines have urged passengers to check individual flight numbers before travelling to airports because published schedules and booking availability do not necessarily confirm that a particular departure will operate.
Etihad’s travel information allows passengers to check flight status up to two days before departure. Its earlier guidance to travel agents also provided for rerouting or refunds under applicable schedule-change policies, with passenger contact details required to remain updated.
The airline’s advisory identifies the Jeddah services by their individual flight numbers and specifies that the Riyadh and Dammam cancellations apply to journeys in both directions.
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