Flight Cancellations across Dubai, Riyadh, Jeddah and more Brings Travel Interruption in UAE and Saudi Arabia as Etihad Airways, Saudia and others Suspends over a Dozen Flights with Hundreds of Delays, New Update

Published on December 5, 2025

A wave of sudden flight disruptions hit the Gulf region today, causing significant travel frustration. This comprehensive operational breakdown affected multiple major airports across the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Specifically, key aviation hubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Jeddah, Riyadh, Sharurah and Dammam all saw service interruptions. Furthermore, national carriers like Etihad Airways and Saudia among others were in the middle of these challenges. Together, these airlines cancelled over a dozen flights and delayed 815 more. Consequently, passengers faced itinerary changes and extended waits. This report analyzes the total impact of these delays and cancellations, focusing specifically on the affected airlines and airports.

Major Airports Affected

In the UAE, the largest number of incidents occurred at Dubai International Airport, where one cancellation was registered alongside a substantial 270 delays. This figure alone represents a massive impediment to passenger flow at one of the world’s busiest air hubs. Nearby, Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International Airport was also impacted, with one cancellation and 10 delays recorded. Further complicating the situation was the disruption noted at Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi, where one cancellation and 111 delays were documented.

Across the border in Saudi Arabia, the situation was also characterized by major operational constraints at the Kingdom’s main gateways. King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah was affected by a total of four cancellations and 212 delays, marking it as the most severely hit airport by flight withdrawals. King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh recorded three cancellations and 159 delays. Meanwhile, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam experienced three cancellations and 52 delays, demonstrating the widespread nature of the issue across the Kingdom’s primary cities. The disruption was also felt regionally, as Sharurah Domestic Airport in Sharurah was noted to have one cancellation and one delay.

Impacted Airlines

Four distinct air carriers were cited as being responsible for the affected services, with the national airline of Saudi Arabia, Saudia, accounting for the highest volume of cancellations. Saudia was directly linked to 11 of the 14 total cancellations reported, along with a combined 305 delays across the four affected Saudi airports: Sharurah Domestic, King Abdulaziz Int’l, King Khalid Int’l and King Fahd Int’l.

In the UAE, the domestic airline Flydubai was responsible for one cancellation and 87 delays at the highly congested Dubai Int’l. Separately, the single cancellation and 56 delays recorded at Abu Dhabi Int’l were directly attributed to Etihad Airways. A single cancellation but zero delays by Royal Jordanian were also recorded at Al Maktoum Int’l.

Beyond these specific figures, delays were being experienced by several other Airlines, like Flynas, Emirates, IndiGO, flyadeal and more.

Probable Impact on Local Tourism

The concentration of flight disruptions across key entry points—including Dubai Int’l, King Abdulaziz Int’l in Jeddah, King Khalid Int’l in Riyadh and Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi—is believed to have caused a measurable hindrance to local tourism and business travel. The sheer scale of the delays (815 total) means that a massive number of passenger itineraries were disrupted, directly impacting the arrival and departure schedules for visitors to these major commercial centres. The 270 delays at Dubai Int’l, for instance, translate into lengthy holding times and missed connections, thereby reducing passenger access to the city and potentially affecting hotel bookings and ground transport arrangements. Similarly, the significant delays at the major airports serving Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam suggest that the ingress and egress of tourists and business travellers to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was severely restricted. These operational setbacks invariably translate into reduced visitor-friendly conditions, posing an immediate challenge to the hospitality and travel sectors in these prominent regional destinations. The ripple effects of these delays are expected to be felt in subsequent travel plans for a multitude of passengers throughout the UAE and the Kingdom.

What Affected Passengers Can Do Now

Passengers whose travel plans have been compromised by these widespread disruptions are advised that immediate action must be taken. In cases where a flight cancellation was processed—such as the one handled by Royal Jordanian at Al Maktoum Int’l, or the four cancellations at King Abdulaziz Int’l in Jeddah by Saudia—passengers are entitled to rebooking or refund options. For individuals affected by the hundreds of delays across airports in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh and Dammam, direct communication channels with the operating airline (Flydubai, Etihad Airways, or Saudia) must be utilized to confirm updated departure times. It is strongly recommended that all passengers affected by a cancellation or significant delay refrain from proceeding to the airport until rebooking confirmation has been secured, thereby minimizing prolonged waiting times and further complicating terminal operations. The process of re-accommodation must be managed through the respective carrier’s customer service or online flight status platforms.

In summary, the combined operational challenges involving fourteen cancellations and 815 delays across the UAE and Saudi Arabia have led to a day of significant travel chaos. The widespread impact demonstrates a need for increased scrutiny of operational readiness, especially within major aviation centres such as those serving Dubai and Jeddah.

-The information provided is sourced from FlightAware.