RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 20, 2026 — Update to our October 19 report. King Khalid International Airport has been open again since Saturday, October 17, but the recovery has stalled. Emirates has cancelled the Riyadh flights it planned to restart this week, Air France-KLM has pushed its Riyadh return into November, and two-thirds of Riyadh departures were cancelled or listed as no-fly on Monday.
What changed since yesterday
- Emirates reverses course: Instead of resuming Riyadh on October 20 and 21 as previously planned, Emirates has cancelled EK815, EK817 and EK819 (and the return flights) for October 20 and 21. It has also cancelled several Dubai–Dammam and Dubai–Jeddah flights.
- Air France-KLM extends: Riyadh is now off through November 7 (previously October 24 for Air France).
- Gulf Air still suspended: Reported as still suspending Riyadh operations as of October 20, after earlier saying flights after October 18 would operate.
- Akasa Air extends: Jeddah and Riyadh now cancelled through October 27.
- flydubai: Dubai–Riyadh flights FZ847 and FZ855 are not scheduled Monday through Saturday and are listed for Sunday, October 25.
- Permission still required: Airlines still need approval from Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) before operating any arrival or departure.
How bad it is (Cirium data via Gulf News)
| Airport | Departures cancelled or no-fly, Oct. 19 | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Riyadh (RUH) | 181 of 274 | 66.06% |
| Abha (AHB) | 16 of 33 | 48.48% |
| Dammam (DMM) | 27 of 86 | 31.40% |
| Jeddah (JED) | 56 of 356 | 15.73% |
Across Saudi Arabia, 5,547 of 12,195 scheduled departures (45.49%) have been cancelled or listed as no-fly since October 8. Gulf News notes that the figures combine cancellations and no-fly listings and do not prove every disruption is linked to the conflict.
Current airline status
| Airline | Saudi status |
|---|---|
| Emirates | Riyadh EK815/817/819 cancelled Oct. 20–21; some Dammam and Jeddah flights cancelled |
| flydubai | Riyadh FZ847/FZ855 listed to return Sunday, Oct. 25 |
| Etihad | Riyadh and Dammam through Oct. 24, plus four Abu Dhabi–Jeddah services |
| Air India | Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah until Oct. 24 |
| IndiGo | Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah until Oct. 24 |
| Akasa Air | Jeddah and Riyadh through Oct. 27 |
| Air France-KLM | Riyadh through Nov. 7 |
| Lufthansa Group | Riyadh until Nov. 18 |
| Philippine Airlines | Riyadh until Nov. 29 |
| Qatar Airways | Riyadh and Dammam suspended; end date TBA |
| Gulf Air | Still suspended as of Oct. 20; end date TBA |
| Cathay Pacific | Riyadh and Dubai passenger flights off through Jan. 31, 2027 |
| Delta | Atlanta–Riyadh delayed until March 2027 |
| Malaysia Airlines | Jeddah and Madinah resumed Oct. 18 |
What it means for non-revs
- Don’t plan on Riyadh this week. Even with the airport open, most departures are not operating and planned restarts are being pulled at short notice. Treat any Riyadh listing as speculative until the flight is actually operating.
- Jeddah is the least affected Saudi airport on the Cirium numbers, but cancelled flights elsewhere push passengers onto the remaining services, so expect fuller loads there.
- Check status the day you travel. Gulf News stresses that schedules can change at short notice, and every flight still needs GACA permission.
- Avoid tight onward connections through Gulf hubs to Saudi points; a same-day cancellation can strand you mid-trip.
Sources
- Gulf Business — Riyadh airport reopens: Airlines delay Saudi services, with some routes pushed into 2027
- Gulf News — UAE flight status today: Saudi disruptions and full list of delays, cancellations
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