Saudia Faces Travel Interruption in King Khalid, Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz and King Fahd International Airport of Saudi Arabia with Five Cancellations and Multiple Delays, What You Need to Know

Published on November 2, 2025

Saudia on 1st November, 2025, faced travel interruption. FlightAware’s data confirms that five cancellations were recorded, alongside multiple delays. This disruption dramatically impacted services across key hubs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Specifically, major airports were affected. The country’s primary gateways, including King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, experienced the brunt of the scheduling issues. Furthermore, Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport, which serves Tabuk, was also central to the turmoil. There’s a total of 5 cancellations with 85 delays recorded. This situation highlights the importance of consistent on-time performance for the airline.

A Breakdown of the Affected Flights

The aircraft utilized by Saudia for the disrupted services were identified as the Airbus A321 and A320 models. These narrow-body jets are commonly deployed on high-frequency domestic routes due to their efficiency and passenger capacity. The affected flights spanned across the morning, afternoon and late-night schedules, indicating that the operational irregularity was not confined to a single time block but was instead distributed throughout the day. Specifically, three flights involved the A321 aircraft and two involved the A320.

The reported disruptions by Saudia occurred entirely on routes within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The affected city pairs are considered crucial corridors for business and regional travel, connecting the capital and the Eastern Province with the northwestern region.

The specific routes impacted were:

• Riyadh (RUH)-Tabuk (TUU): This route was affected by three separate scheduled flights (SVA1525, SVA1524 and SVA1531), involving both eastbound and westbound journeys.
• Riyadh (RUH)-Dammam (DMM): This vital inter-city route, connecting the political capital with the economic hub of the Eastern Province, was impacted by two scheduled services (SVA1150 and SVA1145), encompassing both the flight out and the return service.

The concentration of disruptions on these domestic sectors highlights the systemic nature of the challenge being faced by the carrier’s network management.

Delays

The issue of delays by Saudia was quantitatively significant, with a total of 85 delays being recorded. This number accounts for 13% of the overall flight activity tracked in the provided data set, representing a considerable disruption to scheduled service reliability. Passengers traveling during the affected period were likely subjected to extended waiting times and subsequent logistical complications. The volume of delays suggests that the root cause may be a pervasive operational factor impacting turnaround times or air traffic flow across the network.

Affected Airports

The operational strain was focused on three of the Kingdom’s primary air gateways, which serve as critical nodes for both domestic and international traffic.

1. King Khalid International Airport (RUH / OERK) in Riyadh: As the main hub and the capital’s gateway, RUH was the origin or destination for all five scheduled flights, making it the central point of the reported disruptions.
2. King Fahd International Airport (DMM / OEDF) in Dammam: This major airport in the Eastern Province was involved as a key link on the route to Riyadh.
3. Tabuk Regional Airport (TUU / OETB), also known as Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Airport: Serving the northwestern city of Tabuk, this airport was affected by the routes linking it to the capital, Riyadh.

Disruptions at these major facilities have a broad impact, potentially creating cascading delays that affect subsequent scheduled flights throughout the country.

Probable Impact on Local Tourism

Given that all documented flights operated within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the impact is considered a domestic one. The affected routes link major administrative, commercial and emerging tourism destinations (Riyadh, Dammam and Tabuk). The high number of cancellations and delays risks negatively influencing traveler confidence, particularly among those planning multi-city itineraries or connections to international flights. While Saudi Arabia is actively developing its tourism sector, the reliability of domestic air travel is a critical component of visitor experience. Prolonged or frequent disruption to core domestic air links can cause immediate logistical issues for tour operators and hotels, potentially resulting in a short-term downturn in local tourism activity in the affected regions. The ability to manage and swiftly resolve such operational setbacks is paramount for maintaining the momentum of the nation’s tourism development goals.

What Affected Passengers Can Do

Passengers across Saudi Arabiain a situation like this are advised to take immediate action.

• Communication with the Airline: The status of the flight should be verified immediately through the official Saudia channels, including the airline’s website, mobile application, or customer service line. Rebooking options are often offered by the carrier to facilitate the completion of the journey.
• Familiarization with Rights: Passengers should be made aware of the airline’s policies concerning delays and cancellations. Depending on the cause of the disruption, rebooking onto the next available flight or eligibility for compensation or a refund may be determined.
• Alternative Transport: For the relatively short domestic distance between Riyadh and Dammam, alternative transportation methods, such as rail or ground transport, may be considered by travelers to mitigate the impact of continued air travel irregularity.

-The information provided is sourced from FlightAware.