Etihad Airways and flydubai have cancelled or heavily delayed services between the UAE and Riyadh after Yemen’s Houthi movement claimed a fresh ballistic-missile attack on King Khalid International Airport. Khaleej Times confirms that Etihad flight EY555 (AUH-RUH) and its return sector EY556 were held on the ground, while flydubai scrapped rotations FZ855 and FZ856. Saudi authorities reported three fatalities and more than 30 injuries. Although UAE airports remain fully operational, the episode underscores how quickly regional security incidents can close an international hub and strand business travellers. The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) and its Saudi counterpart are coordinating NOTAMs, and more schedule changes are possible if debris clearance or damage assessments uncover further risks. Corporate mobility managers with personnel on Gulf shuttle runs—consultants, auditors and oil-services engineers—should confirm whether alternative routings via Dammam or Bahrain remain viable. Insurance brokers say that companies sending staff to Saudi Arabia may face higher premiums, or compulsory war-risk coverage, until missile-defence intercept rates improve. For now, affected passengers are being offered fee-free rebooking or refunds, but seat availability is tight because many carriers are operating contingency timetables. Travellers are advised to monitor airline apps and the GCAA Twitter feed, and to avoid same-day connections out of Riyadh until further notice.
Source: Khaleej Times
