Dubai and Sharjah Flights From This Saudi Airport Cancelled Again on Day Four

Passengers travelling between the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia's Abha International Airport faced a fourth consecutive day of flight cancellations, as disruption triggered by a Houthi missile and drone attack on the southern Saudi hub continued to ripple across the region. Services connecting Abha with Dubai and Sharjah were among those axed once again.

Days of Disruption at Abha

The cancellations trace back to late on Monday, July 13, when Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement said it launched missiles and drones at Abha International Airport, in retaliation for airstrikes it blamed on Riyadh that struck Sanaa International Airport in Yemen earlier that day. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted the missiles targeting its southern region, and no casualties were reported, but the attack marked the first significant escalation between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia after several years of relative calm, effectively ending a four-year truce.

The disruption began in earnest on Tuesday, July 14, when at least 10 departures from Abha were cancelled between 11:50 am and 5:55 pm, affecting routes connecting the city with Dubai, Sharjah, Riyadh and Jeddah. At least 11 further departures were cancelled on Wednesday, July 15, and the cancellations have continued in the days since as airlines and civil aviation authorities reassessed the safety of operating into the airport, whose runway and operating areas were reportedly affected by the strike.

Flights Affected

Among the UAE-linked services repeatedly hit by the cancellations were flydubai flights FZ815 and FZ811 from Abha to Dubai, scheduled to depart at 12:15 pm and 5:55 pm respectively, and Air Arabia flight G9195 from Abha to Sharjah, scheduled for 2:25 pm. flydubai also cancelled multiple return services from Dubai International Airport's Terminal 2 to Abha over the period. On the domestic side, Saudia suspended a number of services between Abha and both Riyadh and Jeddah, while budget carriers flyadeal and flynas cancelled flights between Abha and Jeddah.

Flight-tracking data showed a sharp drop in arrivals and departures at Abha compared with normal operations, when the airport, a key domestic connector linking smaller cities with Riyadh and Jeddah as well as select Gulf gateways, had been handling more than a hundred flights daily. The Houthis also warned airlines against flying over Saudi airspace, saying the warning would remain in place until the blockade on Sanaa International Airport is lifted.

Travel Advisories Tightened

The continued disruption has prompted several governments to update their travel guidance. Canada revised its Saudi Arabia advisory on July 14, urging travellers to exercise a high degree of caution across the kingdom and to avoid non-essential travel to Abha International Airport in Asir Province because of the risk of missile and drone attacks. Canadian authorities also advised against all travel to areas within 30 kilometres of the Yemen border, and against non-essential travel to locations between 30 and 80 kilometres from it. The United Kingdom and United States issued similar warnings for parts of Saudi Arabia.

The United Nations Security Council convened an emergency meeting following the attack, during which UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Khaled Khiari urged restraint, warning that "Yemen and the wider region cannot afford another cycle of escalation."

Advice for Travellers

Airlines have advised passengers travelling between the UAE and Abha to verify their bookings directly with flydubai or Air Arabia before heading to the airport, as schedules may continue to change depending on operational requirements and security assessments. The Abha disruption forms part of a broader wave of turbulence across Gulf aviation, with UAE hubs in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah recording numerous delays and cancellations in recent days amid the wider regional tensions, and Europe's aviation safety agency having advised airlines to avoid the airspace of several Gulf countries.

This is a developing story and will be updated as the situation at Abha and across the region evolves.