Saudi airport disruption persists as Dubai and Sharjah routes stay cancelled, Riyadh and Jeddah flights operate.
Dubai: Flight disruptions at Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport continued for a fourth straight day on Friday, with Dubai and Sharjah services still suspended, while most domestic flights at the airport remained operational.
Passengers travelling between the UAE and the southern Saudi city continued to experience uncertainty as further cancellations were recorded on both arrival and departure schedules.
Flydubai’s two scheduled flights from Abha to Dubai were cancelled on Friday, including flight FZ811, which was due to depart at 5.55pm, and flight FZ815, scheduled for 12.15pm.
The disruption also affected return flights from Dubai to Abha, with Flydubai services FZ812 and FZ816 — scheduled to leave Dubai at 6.55pm and 1.15pm respectively — also cancelled.
Air Arabia’s Sharjah route also remained suspended, with both flights affected. The outbound service G9196 from Abha to Sharjah and the return flight G9195 from Sharjah to Abha were listed as cancelled.
What is still operating?
Despite the ongoing disruption, Abha International Airport remained partially operational on Friday, with several airlines continuing to operate flights to major Saudi destinations.
Multiple flights between Abha and Riyadh continued or remained scheduled through carriers including flynas, flyadeal and Saudia.
Services linking Abha with Jeddah and Dammam also continued throughout the day, while flights to Medina, Tabuk and Giza remained on the operating schedule.
Several morning flights from Riyadh and Jeddah either arrived as scheduled or were listed with estimated arrival times, indicating that Abha International Airport’s operations had not been fully suspended.
Which flights were cancelled?
Friday’s cancelled arrivals included several services from Riyadh and Jeddah, along with flights arriving from Dubai and Sharjah.
The affected flights included Saudia services SV1644, SV1663, SV1669, SV1646 and SV1650 from Jeddah and Riyadh, flydubai flights FZ815 and FZ811 from Dubai, Air Arabia flight G9195 from Sharjah, and flyadeal flight F3337 from Jeddah.
Cancelled departures
On the departure side, several flights were also cancelled, including flydubai services FZ816 and FZ812 to Dubai, Air Arabia flight G9196 to Sharjah, and Saudia flights SV1647, SV1664, SV1670 and SV1649 to Jeddah and Riyadh.
Other affected services included flyadeal flight F3334 to Jeddah and Nile Air flight NP144 to Cairo. A planned evening flynas service to Medina was also cancelled.
Airport disruption linked to regional tensions
The latest flight disruptions come amid renewed military tensions involving Yemen’s Houthi movement and Saudi Arabia.
Saudi airstrikes targeted Sanaa International Airport on Sunday, after which the Houthis launched missiles and drones towards Abha International Airport on Monday. Authorities said there were no casualties following the attack.
The confrontation represented the most significant escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi movement since the 2022 truce agreement.
Travel advisories remain active
Several countries, including Canada, the UK and the US, continue to maintain travel warnings for areas near the Saudi-Yemen border and locations considered vulnerable to missile and drone attacks.
Canada recently updated its advisory, urging travellers to avoid non-essential trips to Abha International Airport due to the ongoing risk of missile and drone strikes.
The UK also continues to advise against travel near the Yemen border, warning that attacks could occur without advance notice.
The United States continues to maintain a Level 3 travel advisory for Saudi Arabia, urging citizens to reconsider travel to the country, while certain areas remain under a stricter Level 4 “Do Not Travel” warning.
US authorities have also warned of potential risks to airports, energy facilities and transportation infrastructure across Saudi Arabia amid ongoing regional security concerns.
