Hundreds Of Travelers Disrupted In The Middle East As 66 Cancellations And 611 Delays Affect Dubai And Other Airports

Written By: Ryan Rashid

Ryan Rashid

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August 27, 2026 2:46 AM

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Flight cancellations continued across the Middle East, with 611 delays and 66 cancellations across Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. The affected cities include Amman, Doha, Sharjah, Dubai, Najran, Gizan, Abha, Jeddah, and Riyadh. Qatar Airways, flydubai, Emirates, Saudia, flynas, Air Arabia, and Royal Jordanian are among the airlines recording the highest number of disruptions.

Key Middle East Airports Experiencing Schedule Changes

Dubai International Airport

Dubai International Airport recorded 197 delays and 1 cancellation, giving the Dubai hub the highest delay total among the airports. Emirates recorded 74 delays, while flydubai recorded 70.

Hamad International Airport

Hamad International Airport in Doha recorded 148 delays and 3 cancellations. Qatar Airways accounted for 130 delays, while flydubai, Kam Air, and flynas each recorded 2 delays.

King Abdulaziz International Airport

King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah recorded 83 delays and 12 cancellations. Saudia recorded 29 delays and all 12 cancellations. flynas recorded 12 delays.

King Khalid International Airport

King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh recorded 76 delays and 16 cancellations. flynas recorded 28 delays, while Saudia recorded 22 delays and all 16 cancellations.

Sharjah International Airport

Sharjah International Airport recorded 50 delays and 9 cancellations. Air Arabia accounted for 36 delays and all 9 cancellations, while Air India Express recorded 8 delays.

Queen Alia International Airport

Queen Alia International Airport in Amman recorded 42 delays and 1 cancellation. Royal Jordanian accounted for 24 delays and the single cancellation.

Airlines With the Highest Middle East Delay and Cancellation Counts

Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways recorded 133 delays, including 130 at Hamad International Airport and 3 at King Khalid International Airport.

flydubai

flydubai recorded 75 delays, including 70 at Dubai International Airport, 3 at Abha Regional Airport, and 2 at Hamad International Airport.

Emirates

Emirates recorded 74 delays at Dubai International Airport.

Saudia

Saudia recorded 59 delays and 52 cancellations across Saudi Arabia. Its cancellations included 6 at Najran Domestic Airport, 8 at Gizan Regional Airport, 10 at Abha Regional Airport, 12 at King Abdulaziz International Airport, and 16 at King Khalid International Airport.

flynas

flynas recorded 45 delays, including 28 at King Khalid International Airport, 12 at King Abdulaziz International Airport, 3 at Abha Regional Airport, and 2 at Hamad International Airport. No cancellations were recorded.

Air Arabia

Air Arabia recorded 39 delays and 12 cancellations. Its delays included 36 at Sharjah International Airport, 3 at Queen Alia International Airport, and none at Hamad International Airport. It recorded 9 cancellations at Sharjah and 3 at Hamad.

Royal Jordanian

Royal Jordanian recorded 24 delays and 1 cancellation at Queen Alia International Airport in Amman.

Steps Passengers Can Take When Flights Are Cancelled

• Check the airline’s official flight status before traveling to the airport.
• Contact the airline promptly about rebooking options.
• Confirm revised departure times after receiving a schedule change.
• Check connecting flights if the first sector is delayed or cancelled.
• Keep booking confirmations and boarding documents accessible.
• Ask about baggage arrangements following an itinerary change.
• Allow additional time at the airport when schedules change.
• Follow airline and airport announcements for updated gate information.

Operational Issues Can Affect Middle East Flight Schedules

Flight cancellations across the Middle East can occur for several operational reasons. Aircraft availability, crew scheduling, airport capacity, maintenance requirements, connecting aircraft movements, and changes to airline operations can all affect scheduled departures.

A delay earlier in an aircraft’s daily rotation can also influence subsequent services. When an aircraft or crew arrives later than planned, later flights using the same resources may receive revised departure times or, in some circumstances, be cancelled.

A Closer Look at the Middle East Aviation Picture

The current Middle East flight picture shows the greatest number of delays at major international hubs. Dubai International Airport recorded 197 delays, followed by Hamad International Airport with 148. King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah recorded 83 delays, while King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh recorded 76.

The cancellation picture is more concentrated in Saudi Arabia. Saudia recorded 52 cancellations, including 16 at King Khalid International Airport, 12 at King Abdulaziz International Airport, 10 at Abha Regional Airport, 8 at Gizan Regional Airport, and 6 at Najran Domestic Airport.

In the United Arab Emirates, Dubai International Airport recorded 197 delays, while Sharjah International Airport recorded 50 delays and 9 cancellations. Air Arabia accounted for all 9 cancellations at Sharjah.

In Qatar, Hamad International Airport recorded 148 delays and 3 cancellations, with Qatar Airways accounting for 130 delays. In Jordan, Queen Alia International Airport in Amman recorded 42 delays and 1 cancellation, with Royal Jordanian responsible for 24 delays.

Overall, the Middle East is seeing flight schedule changes centered on major hubs in Dubai, Doha, Jeddah, Riyadh, Sharjah, and Amman. The combined figures of 611 delays and 66 cancellations show that passengers traveling through these cities may encounter revised departure times or cancelled services and should check their flight status before traveling.

The data has been extensively curated by our editorial team using real-time aviation figures recorded on 26 August 2026 at 3:07 pm ET USA (August 27 3:07 pm IST)

Primary Source: FlightAware.

Verification Protocol: All statistics have been independently reviewed and cross-checked by our human editorial desk. Timestamped records, data logs and feed snapshots are securely archived internally to support historical accuracy and editorial transparency.

Note: Real-time flight-tracking figures reflect active airspace and operational data. Minor variations may occur when compared with information displayed at individual airport terminals or airline departure gates.

Travellers are advised to check directly with their respective airlines and airports for the latest flight status, schedule changes and operational updates.