Flights Cancelled In The Middle East Today As Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain And Kuwait Cancel 50 And Delay 392 Flights, Disrupting Emirates, Etihad, Saudia, EgyptAir, Flynas, And Others In Dubai, Cairo, Riyadh, And More

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Thousands of passengers were stranded in the Middle East today as massive flight disruptions led to 392 delays and 50 cancellations across Dubai (68 delays, 15 cancellations), Sharjah (15 delays, 8 cancellations), Abu Dhabi (50 delays, 2 cancellations), Bahrain (7 cancellations), Kuwait (11 delays, 4 cancellations), Cairo (86 delays, 2 cancellations), Jeddah – King Abdulaziz (58 delays, 1 cancellation), Riyadh – King Khalid (57 delays, 3 cancellations), Dammam – King Fahd (20 delays, 3 cancellations), and Doha – Hamad (27 delays, 3 cancellations). The most affected airlines included Saudia (54 delays), Etihad Airways (35 delays), Emirates (34 delays, 6 cancellations), EgyptAir (34 delays), Flynas (32 delays), flyadeal (30 delays, 4 cancellations), Qatar Airways (23 delays), FlyDubai (18 delays, 4 cancellations), and Gulf Air (13 cancellations). Other notable carriers such as Air Arabia (13 cancellations, 9 delays), Jazeera Airways (14 delays), IndiGo (9 delays), and Air India Express (6 delays) also faced operational setbacks.
The affected cities include Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Manama, Kuwait City, Cairo, Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, and Doha, spanning across the countries UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.

• Updated today: A total of 392 flight delays and 50 cancellations were recorded across 10 major airports
• Cairo (86 delays) and Dubai (68 delays, 15 cancellations) were among the hardest-hit hubs
• Saudia, Emirates, Etihad Airways, and Flynas led delay counts across the region
• Gulf Air and Air Arabia recorded the highest cancellations at 13 each
• Disruptions affected major aviation hubs in UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait
• Both full-service and low-cost carriers experienced operational instability

Most Affected Middle Eastern Airports

Dubai International Airport (Dubai)

Dubai recorded the highest disruption levels in the UAE today, with heavy airline impact led by Emirates, FlyDubai, Saudia, and Air India.

Cairo International Airport (Cairo)

Cairo emerged as the most delay-heavy airport in the Middle East, with EgyptAir, Saudia, Flynas, and Emirates among the most disrupted carriers.

Abu Dhabi International Airport (Abu Dhabi)

Operations in Abu Dhabi were significantly affected, particularly impacting Etihad Airways, Air India Express, and IndiGo.

King Abdulaziz International Airport (Jeddah)

Jeddah saw strong disruption volumes driven by Saudia, flyadeal, Flynas, and FlyDubai.

King Khalid International Airport (Riyadh)

Riyadh experienced notable operational issues, with Saudia, Flynas, flyadeal, and Etihad Airways affected.

Hamad International Airport (Doha)

Doha disruptions were led by Qatar Airways, along with Air Arabia and FlyDubai.

Sharjah International Airport (Sharjah)

Sharjah disruptions were dominated by Air Arabia, with additional effects on SalamAir and Air India Express.

Airlines Most Affected by Flight Cancellations and Delays

Saudia

Saudia recorded the highest delay count across all airports, with widespread disruption across Jeddah, Riyadh, and Cairo.

Emirates

Emirates faced a dual impact with both delays and cancellations, primarily centered in Dubai and Cairo operations.

Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways saw major delays, particularly in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, indicating operational strain at its hub.

EgyptAir

EgyptAir experienced high delay volumes concentrated at Cairo, contributing significantly to the airport’s overall disruption level.

Flynas

Flynas recorded extensive delays across Saudi Arabian airports including Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam.

flyadeal

flyadeal faced both delays and cancellations, with disruptions spread across multiple Saudi hubs.

Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways delays were concentrated in Doha, impacting a large share of flights at Hamad International Airport.

Air Arabia

Air Arabia was among the most cancellation-affected airlines, with disruptions heavily centered in Sharjah and Doha.

What Can Impacted Passengers Do?

• Monitor real-time flight updates through airline apps or airport websites
• Stay in contact with airline customer service for rebooking options
• Arrive early at airports to account for operational uncertainty
• Keep essential travel documents and necessities easily accessible
• Check airline policies regarding compensation, refunds, or rescheduling
• Remain flexible with travel plans where possible

Overview of Flight Cancellations

Flight cancellations across the Middle East today, April 27, were primarily concentrated among Gulf Air, Air Arabia, Emirates, FlyDubai, Kuwait Airways, and flyadeal, reflecting operational strain across multiple hubs. Major disruption zones included Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Kuwait City, and Doha, with repeated impacts observed particularly in Dubai, Cairo, Riyadh, and Jeddah. Author’s note: this data has been compiled from FlightAware and may change with live updates. Airlines may adjust schedules for safety, so passengers should monitor updates, review rebooking policies, and stay flexible with travel plans.
Airlines such as Emirates, Saudia, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Air Arabia, and Flynas were central to the disruption landscape, operating across affected cities including Dubai, Sharjah, Abu Dhabi, Manama, Kuwait City, Cairo, Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, and Doha.
These disruptions spanned multiple countries, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait, highlighting the scale of operational challenges across one of the world’s busiest aviation corridors.

Source: Different airports and FlightAware