flydubai Saudi Arabia flights: Riyadh, Abha services remain suspended until November 16

Dubai: flydubai is gradually restoring flights to Saudi Arabia, but services to Riyadh and Abha remain suspended until November 16, following a series of Houthi missile and drone attacks on the kingdom's aviation infrastructure.

The Dubai-based airline has resumed bookings on several Saudi routes, including Jeddah, Gassim, Ha'il and Tabuk, while flights to Dammam are available from November 10.

Its booking platform also shows services to Riyadh and Abha from November 17, although the airline has confirmed that flights to both destinations remain cancelled through November 16, inclusive.

The disruption follows attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and Abha International Airport, which killed and injured dozens of people. Saudi Arabia has also issued fresh security warnings for parts of the kingdom, including Yanbu, a strategically important Red Sea oil export hub, as the Houthi campaign continues.

Which flights are operational?

The airline's website and booking platform show the following availability for flights from Dubai to Saudi Arabia as of November 6:

The absence of booking availability for a destination does not necessarily mean that the airline has formally cancelled or suspended the route. Passengers should check directly with flydubai for the latest operating information.

Deadly attacks

The airline's schedule changes come after a series of Houthi attacks targeting Saudi Arabia's aviation infrastructure, including its major international airports.

Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) confirmed fatalities and injuries following attacks on Abha International Airport and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh in October.

At Abha International Airport, two people were killed and 28 injured during the October 6–7 attacks, according to GACA.

Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport was subsequently targeted in a series of attacks between October 7 and October 11. GACA confirmed casualties in separate incidents, including three Saudi nationals killed in the October 9 attacks.

The October 10 attack was particularly deadly. GACA initially confirmed 12 deaths and 309 injuries. The death toll subsequently increased following further deaths among those injured.

On November 4, the Indian Embassy confirmed the death of another Indian national who had sustained injuries in the October 10 attack. This followed an earlier confirmation of another Indian national's death, taking the reported toll from that incident to 14.

The attacks prompted airlines to cancel and reroute flights, while restrictions on airport operations disrupted passenger connectivity across Saudi Arabia.

Fresh alerts

The security situation remains fluid. On Thursday, November 5, Saudi Arabia issued emergency warnings in Yanbu and Sharurah, although its Civil Defence later announced that the danger had passed without specifying what had triggered the alerts.

The Saudi-led coalition also said it had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched towards the Medina region. A drone was subsequently intercepted over the Eastern Province, according to coalition statements.