Emirates Jeddah restart partial as drones downed over Riyadh

Emirates' first Jeddah rotation was cancelled again on 31 October, with later Jeddah flights listed as scheduled, and drones were downed over Riyadh and Madinah. Gulf News's list for Saturday 31 October shows Emirates' Dubai to Jeddah flight EK801 and the return EK802 cancelled for the second day while EK803 to EK806 are scheduled, every Dubai flight to Riyadh (EK815, EK817 and EK819) and Dammam (EK821, EK823 and EK827) and their returns cancelled, and its Madinah services operating, with EK807 and EK808 arrived and the rest scheduled; the airline's Riyadh and Dammam flights remain listed from 8 November. flydubai's arrivals FZ848 from Riyadh and FZ870 and FZ884 from Dammam were cancelled at Dubai, in line with its cancellation of Riyadh, Dammam and Abha flights to 5 November, while its Jeddah, Madinah, Gassim, Ha'il and Taif flights operated; Gulf News found no status on its website for Abha, AlUla, Dammam, Jizan, Hofuf, Tabuk, Al Jouf, Riyadh, Najran, Neom, Qaisumah, Red Sea and Yanbu, which it notes does not by itself confirm a cancellation. Etihad's Abu Dhabi flights to Riyadh and Dammam and its EY601 to EY604 Jeddah services remain cancelled through 5 November, and Air Arabia's Sharjah flights to Riyadh (G9151 and G9154), Dammam (G9160, G9163 and G9167) and Abha (G9195) and their returns were cancelled on 31 October.

Saudia operates its Riyadh services through Al Qassim with coach transfers, and flyadeal has moved all its Riyadh flights there with coaches from Riyadh bus station. The Saudi-led coalition's spokesman, Turki Al-Maliki, said on Friday 30 October that air defences had intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched towards the southern region and drones over Madinah and Riyadh, after a cruise missile aimed at the west of the Kingdom and a drone in the Makkah region earlier in the day; fragments from the Riyadh interception caused no injuries, according to Arab News and Anadolu Agency. Early on Saturday the coalition said it had destroyed a drone over the Eastern Province and another launched towards the south, and Civil Defence warnings for Najran and Jazan were lifted shortly afterwards, Arab News reported; Reuters and Kuwait Times place those two interceptions on either side of midnight, and no casualties or damage were reported.

Gulf News reported a further coalition statement at 9.43am on Saturday that a hostile drone had been destroyed over the Riyadh region with debris falling without injuries, and the spokesman did not say who launched it. The Houthis' military spokesman denied any operation against Saudi territory on Friday and called the Madinah report a fabrication, according to Anadolu Agency and Reuters. Among other airlines, Gulf News lists Singapore Airlines' non-stop Riyadh launch postponed to 28 March 2027 and Delta's Atlanta to Riyadh launch to March 2027, Air India's and Air India Express's Riyadh and Dammam flights suspended to 14 November, where 7 November had been given, with Jeddah to 31 October, IndiGo's Saudi flights to 14 November, Akasa Air's Jeddah flights to 10 November and Riyadh to 30 November, SriLankan's Riyadh flights to 1 November, Riyadh Air with some flights cancelled to 5 November, Kuwait Airways' Riyadh flights cancelled until further notice, Qatar Airways' Dammam flights suspended and its Jeddah service cut from seven to four daily, Oman Air's Riyadh and SalamAir's Riyadh and Dammam flights cancelled to 31 October with no extension yet announced, Gulf Air back in Riyadh, KLM's Riyadh and Dammam flights suspended to 27 November, Air France's Riyadh flights to 14 November, Lufthansa's Riyadh flights to 18 November and Dammam to 30 November, ITA Airways' Riyadh flights to 18 November, British Airways' one daily Riyadh flight from 3 November with Jeddah discontinued, Eurowings' Jeddah service from 12 November, Cathay Pacific's Riyadh flights to 31 January 2027 and Scoot's Singapore to Jeddah flights to 2 December.

Residents travelling for Umrah should confirm their flight to Jeddah or Madinah with the airline before leaving for the airport, treat Emirates' Jeddah schedule as subject to change, and follow Civil Defence alerts while in the Kingdom.