Travel Chaos Continues In Saudi Arabia Today As Saudia, FlyDubai, Emirates, Qatar, And Others Cancel 251 And Delay 194 Flights, Stranding Thousands Of Passengers Across Jeddah, Riyadh And Dammam

Published on March 3, 2026

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Thousand of passengers stranded across Saudi Arabia today as 445 cancellations and delays hit major Saudi airports: King Abdulaziz International Airport (118 cancellations, 90 delays) in Jeddah, King Khalid International Airport (81 cancellations, 58 delays) in Riyadh, and King Fahd International Airport (52 cancellations, 46 delays) in Dammam.
The airlines most affected include Saudia (Jeddah: 26C/24D; Riyadh: 16C/22D; Dammam: 2C/8D), Flynas (Jeddah: 8C/25D; Riyadh: 6C/14D; Dammam: 1C/15D), FlyDubai (Jeddah: 10C; Riyadh: 10C; Dammam: 4C), Emirates (Jeddah: 6C; Riyadh: 6C; Dammam: 4C), IndiGo (Jeddah: 14C; Riyadh: 6C; Dammam: 7C), and Qatar Airways (Jeddah: 13C/1D; Riyadh: 8C/1D; Dammam: 5C).
Other major carriers experiencing disruption include Etihad Airways (Jeddah: 5C/2D; Riyadh: 4C/2D; Dammam: 4C/2D), Gulf Air (Jeddah: 10C; Riyadh: 8C; Dammam: 8C), and flyadeal (Riyadh: 4C/6D; Dammam: 15D).
Across Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dammam, cancellations exceeded delays at all three airports, indicating a disruption pattern weighted more toward flight suspensions than schedule adjustments.

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• Update today: 251 cancellations and 194 delays recorded across Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dammam.
• Jeddah recorded the highest impact in Saudi Arabia with 118 cancellations and 90 delays.
• Riyadh reported 81 cancellations and 58 delays.
• Dammam saw 52 cancellations and 46 delays.
• Saudia and Flynas recorded the highest combined delay volumes.
• Multiple Gulf carriers, including FlyDubai and Emirates, faced full cancellation clusters at several airports.
• IndiGo and Qatar Airways experienced heavy cancellation rates across all three hubs.

Most Affected Airports

King Abdulaziz International Airport (Jeddah)

Jeddah recorded the highest disruption volume with 118 cancellations and 90 delays, making it the most severely impacted airport in Saudi Arabia. Major disruption came from Saudia (26 cancellations, 24 delays), IndiGo (14 cancellations), Qatar Airways (13 cancellations), FlyDubai (10 cancellations), and Gulf Air (10 cancellations).

King Khalid International Airport (Riyadh)

Riyadh reported 81 cancellations and 58 delays, with Saudia accounting for 16 cancellations and 22 delays. FlyDubai recorded 10 cancellations, Qatar Airways 8 cancellations, and Gulf Air 8 cancellations. Flynas absorbed disruption largely through delays (14).

King Fahd International Airport (Dammam)

Dammam recorded 52 cancellations and 46 delays, showing a narrower gap between cancellations and delays. EgyptAir and Gulf Air each posted 8 cancellations. IndiGo recorded 7 cancellations, while Flynas saw 15 delays and Saudia recorded 8 delays.

Airlines Most Affected by Flight Cancellations and Delays

Saudia

Saudia recorded the largest combined operational impact across the three airports, with heavy cancellation and delay figures in Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dammam. The airline saw particularly high delay counts in Jeddah (24) and Riyadh (22).

Flynas

Flynas experienced significant delays across all three hubs, including 25 in Jeddah and 15 in Dammam, alongside cancellations. The carrier showed one of the highest delay concentrations among Saudi operators.

FlyDubai

FlyDubai recorded full cancellation clusters at multiple airports, including 10 cancellations in both Jeddah and Riyadh and 4 in Dammam.

Emirates

Emirates faced cancellations across all three airports, totaling 16 cancellations combined, without significant delay absorption.

IndiGo

IndiGo recorded complete or near-complete cancellations at all three hubs, including 14 in Jeddah and 7 in Dammam.

Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways posted high cancellation ratios in Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dammam, with minimal delays in comparison.

Gulf Air

Gulf Air saw repeated cancellation clusters across Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dammam, totaling 26 cancellations combined.

Etihad Airways

Etihad recorded both cancellations and delays at each airport, reflecting a mixed operational impact rather than full suspensions.

What Can Affected Passengers Do?

• Check real-time flight status directly with airlines operating at Jeddah, Riyadh, or Dammam.
• Contact carriers such as Saudia, Flynas, or Emirates for rebooking options.
• Arrive early at airports like King Abdulaziz or King Khalid in case of rolling schedule changes.
• Monitor official airline notifications for cancellation updates.
• Explore alternative departure airports if travel between Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dammam is flexible.

Overview of Flight Cancellations and Delays

Today’s disruption across Jeddah, Riyadh, and Dammam reflects a cancellation-heavy operational pattern affecting major regional and international airlines. Carriers such as Saudia, Flynas, FlyDubai, Emirates, IndiGo, Qatar Airways, Gulf Air, and Etihad Airways recorded substantial disruption volumes.

Jeddah saw the highest overall numbers, followed by Riyadh and then Dammam. Across all three cities, cancellations outpaced delays, signaling broad service suspensions rather than temporary schedule adjustments. The combined total of 251 cancellations and 194 delays underscores a significant operational impact across Saudi Arabia’s primary aviation gateways.

Source: Different airports and FlightAware