Published on : 19 Oct 2026
Today is a critical checkpoint in Saudi Arabia’s aviation recovery — Monday October 19 is the suspension end date for multiple carriers, meaning decisions made in the next hours will determine whether your flight to Saudi Arabia this week operates or not. flydubai has extended cancellations on Riyadh, Dammam and Abha through today. Etihad Airways has confirmed cancellation of EY603 Abu Dhabi–Jeddah and EY604 Jeddah–Abu Dhabi through today. Air Arabia continues disruption on multiple Sharjah–Saudi routes. Crucially, Cirium aviation analytics confirmed that even with Riyadh’s airport technically reopened, 46.86% of Saudi departures were still cancelled as of the weekend — meaning airport open does not mean normal service has resumed. This is your complete, verified flight-by-flight Saudi Arabia status guide for October 19, 2026.
Before any flight list, every passenger must understand this:
Riyadh: King Khalid International Airport remains suspended through October 17, according to the supplied travel updates. Jeddah: King Abdulaziz International Airport is operating, with some delays and cancellations. Dammam: King Fahd International Airport is operating, although some services remain affected. Travellers should confirm airport operating conditions before departure and avoid assuming that all flights to an operating airport are running normally.
Flight disruption remained widespread across Saudi Arabia on October 15, when 552 scheduled departures were cancelled or marked “no-fly”, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics company. Cirium’s airline and airport breakdowns recorded 552 affected flights out of 1,178 scheduled departures, equivalent to 46.86%.
In plain English: Nearly half of all scheduled Saudi departures were still not operating even as the NOTAM closure lifted. Three airports are open. Dozens of airlines are still not flying. The gap between “airport open” and “flights operating” is the critical story that no other travel site has specifically addressed for passengers checking their October 19 bookings right now.
| Metric | October 19, 2026 Status |
|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia scheduled departures cancelled | 46.86% as of weekend (Cirium) |
| flydubai — Riyadh, Dammam, Abha | ❌ Cancelled through October 19 (TODAY) |
| Etihad EY603 Abu Dhabi–Jeddah | ❌ Cancelled through October 19 (TODAY) |
| Etihad EY604 Jeddah–Abu Dhabi | ❌ Cancelled through October 19 (TODAY) |
| Air Arabia Sharjah–Saudi routes | ⚠️ Multiple routes disrupted |
| Riyadh (RUH) status | Technically open — operating at severely reduced capacity |
| Jeddah (JED) status | Operating with delays and cancellations |
| Dammam (DMM) status | Operating — some services affected |
| Abha (AHB) status | Severely disrupted — attack damage ongoing |
Dubai-based flydubai has extended cancellations affecting Riyadh, Dammam and Abha up to and including Monday, October 19. The airline confirmed the extended suspension in a statement issued earlier in the week, citing the continuing regional situation. Other Saudi destinations, including NEOM, Al Jouf, Ha’il and Hofuf, have also appeared in flight cancellation listings during the disruption.
Confirmed flydubai cancellations today — October 19:
| Route | Flight Numbers | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai → Riyadh | FZ883, FZ885, FZ887, FZ889 and others | ❌ Cancelled TODAY |
| Riyadh → Dubai | FZ884, FZ886, FZ888, FZ890 and others | ❌ Cancelled TODAY |
| Dubai → Dammam | FZ863, FZ865, FZ867, FZ869 | ❌ Cancelled TODAY |
| Dammam → Dubai | FZ864, FZ866, FZ868, FZ870 | ❌ Cancelled TODAY |
| Dubai → Abha | FZ215, FZ217 | ❌ Cancelled TODAY |
| Abha → Dubai | FZ216, FZ218 | ❌ Cancelled TODAY |
| Dubai → NEOM | Various | ⚠️ Check flydubai.com |
| Dubai → Al Jouf | Various | ⚠️ Check flydubai.com |
| Dubai → Ha’il | Various | ⚠️ Check flydubai.com |
| Dubai → Hofuf | Various | ⚠️ Check flydubai.com |
Today is the stated suspension end date for flydubai on these routes. This means flydubai will make an operational decision TODAY on whether to resume tomorrow, October 20, or extend the suspension further. Watch flydubai.com for the announcement — it is expected during UAE business hours today.
What this means for flydubai passengers: If you hold a flydubai ticket to Riyadh, Dammam or Abha for today — your flight is cancelled. If you hold a ticket for October 20 or later — check flydubai.com today for the updated suspension or resumption notice.
Action: Go to flydubai.com → My Bookings → request a full refund or rebooking. Under UAE GCAA regulations, you are entitled to a full refund or rebooking to an alternative date at no extra cost.
Etihad Airways: EY603 Abu Dhabi to Jeddah — cancelled through Monday, October 19. EY604 Jeddah to Abu Dhabi — cancelled through Monday, October 19. All flights between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh are cancelled through Sunday, October 18. All flights between Abu Dhabi and Dammam are cancelled through Sunday, October 18.
Confirmed Etihad cancellations today — October 19:
| Flight | Route | Status |
|---|---|---|
| EY603 | Abu Dhabi (AUH) → Jeddah (JED) | ❌ Cancelled TODAY October 19 |
| EY604 | Jeddah (JED) → Abu Dhabi (AUH) | ❌ Cancelled TODAY October 19 |
| EY to Riyadh | Abu Dhabi → Riyadh | ❌ Cancelled through October 18 (yesterday) — check today’s status |
| EY to Dammam | Abu Dhabi → Dammam | ❌ Cancelled through October 18 (yesterday) — check today’s status |
The critical Etihad update for today: Etihad’s Riyadh and Dammam suspensions were stated “through October 18” — yesterday. That means today is the first day those suspensions have technically ended for Riyadh and Dammam. However, “suspension ends on date X” does not automatically mean flights resume on date X+1. Airlines require 24–48 hours to reposition aircraft and crew after a suspension lifts. Do not assume Etihad Riyadh or Dammam flights are operating today without specific confirmation.
EY603/EY604 Jeddah is explicitly cancelled today — verified and confirmed.
Action: If you hold an Etihad ticket to any Saudi destination for today or tomorrow — go to etihad.com → Manage → Rebooking or Refund. Call Etihad’s 24-hour line if urgently needed: +971 2 511 0000.
Air Arabia continues to face disruption on several routes connecting Sharjah with Saudi Arabia. Cancellations during the week have affected services to Riyadh, Abha, Dammam and Taif, with further disruption reported on flights to Jeddah, Jizan and Tabuk.
Air Arabia operates from Sharjah International Airport (SHJ) — not Dubai — and serves as the primary budget carrier for the UAE’s large South Asian expatriate community. Its Sharjah–Saudi network covers some of the most important labour corridor routes connecting expatriate workers to their employment in the Kingdom.
Affected Air Arabia Saudi routes:
| Route | Status |
|---|---|
| Sharjah (SHJ) → Riyadh (RUH) | ⚠️ Disrupted — check airarabia.com |
| Sharjah (SHJ) → Abha (AHB) | ⚠️ Disrupted — cancellations reported |
| Sharjah (SHJ) → Dammam (DMM) | ⚠️ Disrupted — check airarabia.com |
| Sharjah (SHJ) → Taif (TIF) | ⚠️ Disrupted — cancellations reported |
| Sharjah (SHJ) → Jeddah (JED) | ⚠️ Further disruption reported |
| Sharjah (SHJ) → Jizan (GIZ) | ⚠️ Disruption reported |
| Sharjah (SHJ) → Tabuk (TUU) | ⚠️ Disruption reported |
Air Arabia has not published a specific suspension end date — its disruption is characterised as ongoing and subject to daily review. This means no Air Arabia Sharjah–Saudi flight can be treated as confirmed until the day of travel.
Action: Check airarabia.com for your specific flight’s status. Air Arabia’s customer service line is 800-AIR ARABIA (800-247-22742) from UAE numbers.
Emirates continues to face disruption across its Saudi Arabian network, with services connecting Dubai to Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam among those affected. The airline’s supplied status information does not provide flight details for several other Saudi routes, including Riyadh and Dammam.
Emirates has not formally suspended its Saudi Arabia network — unlike Lufthansa Group, Air France-KLM, flydubai, Etihad and Air Arabia, Emirates has been making day-by-day operational decisions rather than publishing formal suspension end dates. This makes Emirates the hardest Saudi carrier to plan around: its Saudi flights are “operating” in principle but have been subject to daily cancellations throughout the crisis.
Emirates Saudi Arabia October 19 — what we know:
| Route | Status |
|---|---|
| EK Dubai → Riyadh (EK815, 817, 819) | ⚠️ Day-by-day review — check emirates.com |
| EK Dubai → Jeddah (EK801, 803, 805) | ⚠️ Day-by-day review — check emirates.com |
| EK Dubai → Dammam (EK821, 823, 827) | ⚠️ Day-by-day review — check emirates.com |
| EK Dubai → Medina (EK807, 809) | ⚠️ Day-by-day review — check emirates.com |
Action for Emirates Saudi passengers: Check emirates.com → Manage a Booking for your specific flight status. Do not assume a scheduled Emirates flight to Saudi Arabia is operating without day-of confirmation. Enable push notifications on the Emirates app.
This is the most comprehensive airline-by-airline Saudi Arabia status table available in English as of October 19, 2026:
| Airline | Riyadh (RUH) | Jeddah (JED) | Dammam (DMM) | Abha (AHB) | Other Saudi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lufthansa | ✅ Review Oct 16 — check lh.com | — | — | — | — |
| Swiss | ✅ Review Oct 16 — check swiss.com | — | — | — | — |
| Austrian | ✅ Review Oct 16 — check austrian.com | — | — | — | — |
| flydubai | ❌ Cancelled TODAY | — | ❌ Cancelled TODAY | ❌ Cancelled TODAY | NEOM, Ha’il, Al Jouf, Hofuf — check |
| Etihad | ⚠️ Oct 18 suspension ended — check | ❌ EY603/604 cancelled TODAY | ⚠️ Oct 18 suspension ended — check | — | — |
| Emirates | ⚠️ Day-by-day | ⚠️ Day-by-day | ⚠️ Day-by-day | — | Medina — day-by-day |
| Air Arabia | ⚠️ Disrupted | ⚠️ Disrupted | ⚠️ Disrupted | ⚠️ Disrupted | Taif, Jizan, Tabuk — disrupted |
| Turkish Airlines | ⚠️ Monitoring | ⚠️ Monitoring | ⚠️ Monitoring | — | — |
| Qatar Airways | ⚠️ Monitoring | ⚠️ Monitoring | ⚠️ Monitoring | — | — |
| Air France | ❌ End of October | — | — | — | — |
| KLM | ❌ End of October | — | — | — | — |
| SriLankan | ✅ Resumed Oct 18 | — | — | — | — |
| British Airways | November 3 (under review) | — | — | — | — |
| Cathay Pacific | ❌ Jan 31, 2027 | — | — | — | — |
| Singapore Airlines | ❌ March 28, 2027 | — | — | — | — |
| Virgin Atlantic | ❌ October 2027 | — | — | — | — |
| Saudia | ⚠️ Severely disrupted | ⚠️ Operating with disruption | ⚠️ Operating with disruption | ⚠️ Severely disrupted | All Saudi domestic — disrupted |
| flynas | ⚠️ Severely disrupted | ⚠️ Operating | ⚠️ Operating | — | All Saudi domestic — disrupted |
The NOTAM closure ended at 2100 GMT on October 17. King Khalid International Airport is technically open. But as Cirium confirmed, approximately 47% of Saudi departures were still cancelled even after the NOTAM lifted. Riyadh is operating at severely reduced capacity.
King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh recorded 225 cancellations — representing a 35 percent incoming flight cancellation rate.
At a 35% incoming cancellation rate, one in three flights scheduled to arrive at Riyadh is not showing up. This means connecting services, crew positioning and ground operations are all impacted even for flights that are technically scheduled to operate.
Jeddah: King Abdulaziz International Airport is operating, with some delays and cancellations.
Jeddah is Saudi Arabia’s most reliably operating airport through this crisis — it serves Umrah pilgrims and has historically been given priority for operational continuity. However, “operating with some delays and cancellations” is not normal operations. Etihad’s specific cancellation of EY603/EY604 today is evidence that even Jeddah’s most direct international connections are still being cancelled.
Dammam: King Fahd International Airport is operating, although some services remain affected. King Fahd Airport Dammam recorded 19 cancellations and 25 delays at a 10% cancellation rate.
A 10% cancellation rate at Dammam means roughly one in ten flights is being cancelled. That is above normal but significantly better than Riyadh’s 35%. Dammam serves the Eastern Province oil sector and industrial zone — its operations are strategically important for the Saudi economy.
Abha remains the most severely impacted Saudi airport. It was the first attacked (October 6) and has sustained the most accumulated damage. Both flydubai and Air Arabia have sustained cancellations to Abha throughout the crisis. No major carrier has confirmed a specific Abha resumption date.
UK passengers reach Saudi Arabia primarily via Etihad (Abu Dhabi), Turkish Airlines (Istanbul), Qatar Airways (Doha) and Emirates (Dubai). All four routes have active disruption today. British Airways’ planned November 3 Riyadh return remains under review. Under UK261, if any UK-departing flight is cancelled, you are entitled to a full cash refund or rebooking.
Jeddah-specific note for UK Umrah travellers: EY603 and EY604 — the direct Abu Dhabi–Jeddah connection used by many UK passengers on Etihad — are cancelled today. If you are departing a UK airport on Etihad today expecting to connect through Abu Dhabi to Jeddah for Umrah — contact Etihad immediately. Your onward Abu Dhabi–Jeddah sector does not exist today.
Australian passengers typically reach Saudi Arabia via Emirates (Dubai) or Qatar Airways (Doha). Both carriers are under daily operational review. Emirates’ day-by-day Saudi decisions mean no Australian passenger can confirm their Dubai–Riyadh connection until the day of travel. Monitor the Emirates app from 6am UAE time for same-day confirmation.
Under Australian Consumer Law, airlines must rebook you at no extra cost if any sector of your single-ticket itinerary is cancelled.
No US carrier serves Saudi Arabia directly. Delta’s October 23 Atlanta–Riyadh launch is effectively cancelled. US passengers route via Emirates (JFK, LAX, IAH, IAD, DFW to Dubai then Saudi), Qatar Airways (multiple gateways to Doha then Saudi) or Turkish Airlines (JFK, LAX, ORD to Istanbul then Saudi).
Under US DOT rules, if your carrier cancels any sector of your itinerary, you are entitled to a full cash refund to your original payment method — unconditional.
Canadian passengers reach Saudi Arabia via Qatar Airways (Toronto, Montreal) or Turkish Airlines (Toronto). Both are under daily Saudi operational review. Canada’s APPR entitles you to rebooking or a full refund if your flight is cancelled.
| Situation | Your Rights |
|---|---|
| flydubai cancels your Saudi flight today | Full refund OR rebooking — flydubai.com |
| Etihad cancels EY603/EY604 today | Full refund OR rebooking — etihad.com |
| Air Arabia cancels your Sharjah–Saudi flight | Full refund OR rebooking — airarabia.com |
| Emirates cancels your Dubai–Saudi sector | Full refund OR rebooking — emirates.com |
| UK261 (UK-departing flight cancelled) | Full refund or rerouting; extraordinary circumstances limits cash comp |
| US DOT (US-departing cancelled) | Full cash refund — unconditional |
| Canadian APPR | Full refund or rebooking at no extra cost |
| Australian Consumer Law | Rebooking at no extra cost |
| UAE GCAA (UAE-departing cancelled) | Refund + rebooking; meals if delayed 3+ hours |
The one universal rule: If your airline cancels your flight for any reason — including missile attacks on the destination airport — your right to a full cash refund to your original payment method is unconditional. This right does not expire when suspension end dates pass. Request it in writing via the airline’s website.
Posted By : Vinay
This article is provided for general informational purposes only and is based on information available at the time of publication. Travel advisories, airline schedules, airport operations, visa requirements, government regulations, and other travel-related information are subject to change without prior notice. While Travel Tourister makes reasonable efforts to verify information using official announcements, government publications, airline and airport communications, and other reliable sources, we cannot guarantee that all information remains complete, accurate, or up to date at all times. Readers should independently verify any information that may affect their travel plans with the relevant airline, airport authority, government agency, embassy, or other official source before making travel, financial, or other decisions. Travel Tourister shall not be liable for any direct or indirect loss, inconvenience, or damages arising from the use of or reliance on the information contained in this article. Nothing in this publication constitutes legal, immigration, financial, or professional travel advice. If you believe any information in this article is inaccurate or outdated, please contact our editorial team. We review all credible correction requests promptly and update our content whenever appropriate.
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