UAE Flights Disrupted as Saudi Routes Face Fresh Suspensions; Philippine Airlines Resumes Dubai Service

Passengers travelling from the UAE on Thursday face flight cancellations, delays and schedule changes as regional security concerns continue to affect air travel. An attack at Saudi Arabia's King Fahd International Airport in Dammam caused material damage, and flights were diverted away from the airport, according to Flightradar24. Casualties were reported.

Separately, two expatriates, a Filipino and a Nepali national, were killed in a drone attack targeting a facility at Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oil field in the Eastern Province. A Pakistani national and an Indian national were injured. Saudi authorities said the attack did not affect the facility's operations. King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh has resumed a limited number of domestic flights, with Saudia and flynas operating services subject to prior approval, while several international airlines have extended cancellations.

Philippine Airlines has resumed flights to Dubai, joining Cebu Pacific in restoring services between the UAE and the Philippines. Each airline operates four flights a week between Dubai and Manila. PAL flights PR654 and PR655 to and from Riyadh are suspended until November 29, 2026, and Cebu Pacific's Riyadh services scheduled through October 31 have been cancelled. Cebu Pacific is offering passengers booked on affected Riyadh flights through November 30 free rebooking, conversion to a Travel Fund or a full refund, subject to the airline's conditions.

At Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi, several arrivals from Pakistan, India, Kenya and Thailand have been delayed, including Etihad Airways flights EY277, EY213, EY343, EY770, EY215 and EY405, Air Arabia Abu Dhabi flight 3L312 and Pakistan International Airlines flight PK217. PIA flight PK262 to Islamabad was rescheduled from 3pm to 3.40pm. At Dubai International Airport, listed cancellations include flydubai flights FZ964 (from Novosibirsk) and FZ966 (from Moscow Vnukovo), flyadeal flights F3 703 (from Madinah) and F3 1505 (from Gassim), and Emirates flight EK132 from Moscow Domodedovo.

Etihad Airways has cancelled flights between Abu Dhabi and Dammam, Riyadh and Jeddah through Saturday, October 24, and reported delays on Taipei services (EY898 and EY899) due to Super Typhoon Champi. Emirates cancelled flight EK129 from Dubai to Moscow, and flights between Dubai and Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam are listed as cancelled, while Dubai-Madinah flights remain operational. Flydubai cancelled multiple Saudi services on October 22, including on the Riyadh, Abha, Dammam and Ha'il routes. Air Arabia cancelled Sharjah services to Abha, Riyadh, Cairo, Sohag, Almaty and Doha.

Other carriers have suspended or reduced Saudi services. Air India and Air India Express (Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam) and IndiGo (Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Madinah) are suspended through October 24. Akasa Air (Riyadh, Jeddah) is suspended through October 27. Qatar Airways has suspended Riyadh and Dammam through October 24, with Jeddah reduced from seven to four daily flights. Oman Air is suspended until October 22 and SalamAir through October 31. Pakistan International Airlines has announced no resumption date. Air France is suspended through October 24, KLM through October 31, and the Lufthansa Group has suspended Riyadh through November 18 and Dammam through November 30.

The pattern across these notices is divergence, not a uniform shutdown. Dubai–Manila flying has restarted, Dubai–Madinah remains operational and Riyadh has a limited domestic programme, while Dammam and Riyadh international services are cancelled by most of the carriers listed. For operators and planners, Saudi exposure is being handled airline by airline, with end dates ranging from October 22 to November 30, so a single route can be open on one carrier and closed on another.

Suspension end dates also show how differently carriers price the risk. Short windows such as Oman Air's October 22 and the October 24 cutoffs at Etihad, IndiGo and Qatar Airways sit alongside the Lufthansa Group's November 18 and November 30 horizons, and PAL's Riyadh suspension runs to November 29, 2026. Where airlines extend rather than lift a suspension, rebooking and refund terms such as Cebu Pacific's November 30 window become part of the operating picture.

The nearest dated milestones are the October 24 and October 27 expiries of the Etihad, Qatar Airways, Air India, IndiGo and Akasa Air suspensions. Whether those carriers lift or extend them, and whether King Fahd International Airport reopens to traffic after the Dammam damage, will show how quickly Eastern Province service can return.