Hundreds Of Passengers Abandoned Around The Middle East As Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Qatar, Syria And Jordan Delay 834 And Cancel 32 Flights, Disrupting Emirates, Qatar Airways, Saudia, Flynas, Royal Jordanian, And Others In Riyadh, Dubai, Cairo, And More

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Hundreds of passengers were stranded across the Middle East today as widespread aviation disruptions impacted Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Qatar, Syria, and Jordan, with 834 delays and 32 cancellations recorded across Dubai International Airport (6 cancellations, 119 delays) in Dubai, King Abdulaziz International Airport (2 cancellations, 213 delays) in Jeddah, King Khalid International Airport (4 cancellations, 236 delays) in Riyadh, Al Maktoum International Airport (1 cancellation, 2 delays) in Dubai, Cairo International Airport (2 cancellations, 194 delays) in Cairo, Queen Alia International Airport (4 cancellations, 31 delays) in Amman, Damascus International Airport (3 cancellations, 0 delays) in Damascus, and Hamad International Airport (10 cancellations, 39 delays) in Doha.
The most affected airlines included Qatar Airways (9 cancellations, 39 delays), Saudia (4 cancellations, 174 delays across hubs), Emirates (72 delays), Flynas (125 delays), flyadeal (64 delays), and Royal Jordanian (7 cancellations, 10 delays). Other prominent carriers such as British Airways (2 cancellations), KLM (2 cancellations), Kenya Airways (1 cancellation), and FlyDubai (3 cancellations, 34 delays) also faced notable disruptions.
These disruptions affected operations across Jeddah, Riyadh, Dubai, Cairo, Amman, Damascus, and Doha, spanning Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Qatar.

• Updated today: A total of 834 delays and 32 cancellations were recorded across eight major airports
• Riyadh and Jeddah reported the highest delay volumes, exceeding 200 each
• Doha recorded the highest cancellation count (10) among all airports
• Dubai’s dual-airport system saw mixed disruption levels, with DXB heavily impacted and DWC minimally affected
• Cairo emerged as a major delay hotspot with 194 delayed flights
• Damascus recorded a unique case of only cancellations (3) with zero delays
• Major airlines including Qatar Airways, Saudia, Emirates, and Flynas dominated disruption figures
• Overall trend shows delay-heavy disruption patterns, with cancellations concentrated in specific hubs

Most Affected Airports

King Khalid International Airport (Riyadh)

Riyadh recorded the highest number of delays (236) alongside 4 cancellations, making it the most disrupted airport overall in the Middle East. The majority of disruptions were driven by regional carriers, particularly Saudia and Flynas.

King Abdulaziz International Airport (Jeddah)

Jeddah followed closely with 213 delays and 2 cancellations, reflecting significant operational strain. Saudia accounted for a large portion of disruptions at this hub.

Cairo International Airport (Cairo)

Cairo experienced 194 delays and 2 cancellations, with EgyptAir leading delay volumes. The airport showed a strong delay-heavy pattern with minimal cancellations.

Dubai International Airport (Dubai)

Dubai’s primary hub recorded 119 delays and 6 cancellations, with Emirates contributing the largest share of delays while FlyDubai led cancellations.

Hamad International Airport (Doha)

Doha stood out with 10 cancellations and 39 delays, the highest cancellation count among all airports. Qatar Airways dominated both metrics.

Queen Alia International Airport (Amman)

Amman reported 31 delays and 4 cancellations, with Royal Jordanian responsible for all cancellations, indicating a concentrated disruption profile.

Damascus International Airport (Damascus)

Damascus showed a pure cancellation scenario, recording 3 cancellations and no delays, making it structurally distinct from other airports.

Al Maktoum International Airport (Dubai)

Al Maktoum experienced minimal disruption with 2 delays and 1 cancellation, indicating limited operational impact compared to other hubs.

Airlines Most Affected by Flight Cancellations and Delays

Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways recorded 9 cancellations and 39 delays, making it the most impacted airline in Doha and one of the most disrupted overall in the Middle East.

Saudia

Saudia accumulated 4 cancellations and 174 delays across Jeddah, Riyadh, and Cairo, representing one of the largest delay volumes in the dataset.

Emirates

Emirates experienced 72 delays and no cancellations, primarily concentrated at Dubai International Airport, making it the leading contributor to delay volume at that hub.

Flynas

Flynas reported 125 delays with no cancellations, impacting multiple airports including Riyadh, Cairo, and Amman.

flyadeal

flyadeal recorded 64 delays, all delay-driven, reflecting consistent operational disruptions without cancellations.

Royal Jordanian

Royal Jordanian saw 7 cancellations and 10 delays, with cancellations concentrated in Amman and Damascus.

FlyDubai

FlyDubai experienced 3 cancellations and 34 delays, contributing significantly to disruptions at Dubai International Airport.

British Airways

British Airways recorded 2 cancellations and no delays, indicating a purely cancellation-driven disruption pattern.

EgyptAir

EgyptAir accounted for 61 delays, making it the primary driver of disruption at Cairo International Airport.

What Can Impacted Passengers Do?

• Check real-time flight status through official airline or airport websites
• Contact airlines directly for rebooking or compensation options
• Arrive early at the airport to account for operational delays
• Keep digital and printed copies of travel documents accessible
• Monitor announcements for gate changes or schedule updates
• Consider travel insurance coverage for delays and cancellations
• Stay informed through airport notification systems and alerts

Learn More

Overview of Flight Cancellations

Flight cancellations across the Middle East were led by Qatar Airways, Saudia, Royal Jordanian, FlyDubai, British Airways, and KLM, with significant impacts concentrated in Doha, Dubai, Amman, Riyadh, Jeddah, Cairo, and Damascus.
The highest concentration of cancellations occurred in Doha, followed by Dubai International Airport and Amman, while Damascus recorded exclusively cancellations without delays. Meanwhile, Riyadh and Jeddah experienced comparatively fewer cancellations but significantly higher delays.
Major cities including Doha, Dubai, Amman, Riyadh, Jeddah, Cairo, and Damascus were repeatedly affected, reflecting a broad regional disruption pattern. Airlines such as Qatar Airways and Royal Jordanian played a central role in cancellation figures, while others like British Airways and KLM contributed through isolated but complete flight cancellations.
Across Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Qatar, the disruption landscape remained largely delay-driven, with cancellations concentrated in specific operational bottlenecks rather than uniformly distributed across all airports in the Middle East.

Source: Different airports and FlightAware