International airlines have published Saudi Arabia flight suspensions stretching from late October through January 2027, while Delta’s delayed Atlanta-Riyadh launch shows disruption is also postponing planned service.
Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said an Oct. 21 attack at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam killed two people and injured eight. GACA said airport operations had resumed and air traffic was normal by Oct. 22. Reuters reported Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport reopened Oct. 17, subject to civil aviation approval for airline arrivals and departures. The Associated Press reported limited activity by Saudi airlines there on Oct. 21.
Etihad Airways lists Abu Dhabi flights to Riyadh and Dammam, as well as Jeddah services EY601, EY602, EY603 and EY604, as canceled through Nov. 5. KLM and SalamAir list Riyadh and Dammam flights as canceled through Oct. 31. Lufthansa says its Riyadh flights are suspended through Nov. 18; the Lufthansa Group update lists Dammam flights through Nov. 30 and a Eurowings return to Jeddah on Nov. 12.
NDTV Profit and Gulf News reported, citing an Oct. 17 airline notice, that Air India and Air India Express flights to and from Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam are suspended through Oct. 24. An Oct. 23 advisory attributed to IndiGo and shared by the Indian Embassy in Riyadh lists cancellations through Oct. 31 for Riyadh and Oct. 27 for Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah. The Economic Times and Financial Express reported that an Oct. 18 Akasa Air advisory extended its Riyadh and Jeddah suspensions through Oct. 27.
Philippine Airlines lists Riyadh flights PR654 and PR655 as suspended through Nov. 29. Cathay Pacific’s notice lists Riyadh passenger flights as canceled through Jan. 31, 2027. Qatar Airways’ alert lists Riyadh and Dammam services as suspended but gives no resumption date.
The National reported that Emirates cancellations run through Oct. 25, flydubai cancellations through Oct. 29 and Oman Air’s Riyadh suspension through Oct. 31. It also reported that Air Arabia has canceled Sharjah services to Riyadh, Abha, Dammam and Taif without announcing a restart date, while British Airways plans to return to Riyadh on Nov. 3 with one daily flight.
Delta plans to launch its Atlanta-Riyadh service in March 2027 after postponing the Oct. 23 start. The next listed cutoffs are Oct. 25 for Emirates, as reported by The National, and Oct. 27 for IndiGo and Akasa Air.
