Etihad Airways has cancelled all flights between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh through Monday, October 19, 2026, extending the disruption facing travellers to the Saudi capital. The airline’s latest notice also suspends all Dammam flights through the same date, while selected Jeddah services face a shorter cancellation period.
The update is more extensive than the individual cancellations we covered in our earlier Riyadh airport report. For passengers, the immediate task is to review the entire itinerary, including any connection through Abu Dhabi, rather than wait until the original departure day.
Riyadh and Dammam Face a Longer Suspension
Etihad attributes the cancellations to regional disruption and warns that further changes remain possible. Its October 19 cutoff applies to its own flights between Abu Dhabi and the two Saudi cities. It does not establish when Riyadh airport will fully reopen or confirm that flights will resume on October 20.
Jeddah has a different timetable. Etihad lists EY601, EY602, EY603 and EY604 as cancelled from October 12–14. On Thursday, October 15, the notice identifies EY603 and EY604. Travellers should match their flight number and travel date to that list rather than assume the Riyadh suspension applies across Saudi Arabia.
The changes come amid continuing regional security incidents. The National’s Tuesday live coverage tracks further missile-interception reports as well as the Riyadh cancellations. Individual security reports and an airline’s operating notice answer different questions: passengers still need confirmation for their own journey.
How Etihad Is Handling Affected Bookings
Etihad says cancelled-flight customers will receive an email explaining their options, including rebooking arrangements for connecting journeys. For cancellations more than three days before departure, alternative flights can be reviewed in Manage Booking. For cancellations from two days before departure, its team will actively assist with rebooking.
Keep the booking’s contact details current and check any revised connection as well as the Saudi sector. If another airline operates part of the journey, contact that carrier for assistance with its flight. Ask the issuing airline or travel agent to confirm which changes apply to the complete ticket.
Government Advice Remains a Separate Check
Australia’s Smartraveller advice, updated on October 13, says not to travel to King Khalid International Airport because of security incidents disrupting operations. It advises Australians to reconsider their need to travel to Saudi Arabia overall and to confirm flights before leaving for an airport.
The UK’s travel advisory advises against all but essential travel to Riyadh province and to Saudi airports except Medina International Airport. It also tells British nationals to stay away from King Khalid until it is secure. Check the guidance relevant to your nationality and every transit point in a proposed replacement itinerary.
The two advisories should be read on their own terms, including their implications for insurance. A seat offered on an alternative flight does not by itself resolve the security or insurance questions surrounding a trip. Ask your insurer how the current advice affects the journey before committing to a new routing.
Check the Whole Trip Before Rebooking
The disruption is also changing longer-term airline plans. Delta has postponed its planned Atlanta–Riyadh debut until March 2027, as we explain in our launch-delay report. That is a separate decision from Etihad’s October suspension and does not provide a reopening date for the airport.
Before accepting a replacement journey, review onward flights, hotel arrivals and airport transfers with the relevant providers. Keep the cancellation notice and revised itinerary together, and reconfirm the operating status before setting out. Etihad’s notice remains subject to change, so the published cancellation cutoff should not be treated as a promise about the following day.
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