Air France quietly updated its Middle-East travel advisory on 19 October to confirm that all passenger services between Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle (CDG) and the Gulf hubs of Riyadh (RUH) and Dubai (DXB) will remain suspended until at least 31 October 2026. The airline cites "operational constraints linked to regional air-space restrictions" and ongoing NOTAM A3650/26, which requires special permission for flights to Saudi Arabia. Although Saudi authorities reopened King Khalid International Airport on 18 October, Air France’s own risk-assessment team decided to keep its aircraft and crews away from Riyadh for another fortnight. Flights to Tel Aviv and Beirut, which were paused earlier this month, have meanwhile resumed, showinghow route decisions are being taken city-by-city rather than on a blanket regional basis. For corporate travel managers the extension is significant: Riyadh was one of Air France’s fastest-growing long-haul markets in 2025, supporting energy-sector commuter traffic and French suppliers working on Saudi giga-projects. Dubai remains a crucial one-stop hub for connections deeper into Asia. French companies moving staff or equipment through either gateway must now rebook via codeshare partners (KLM, Saudia, Emirates) or reroute through Doha and Abu Dhabi, accepting longer journey times and higher airfares at the start of the busy autumn conference season. Affected passengers are being contacted individually. Under EU261/2004, the carrier must offer re-routing or a refund, but Air France warns that hotel and visa costs arising from schedule changes are not automatically reimbursed. Travellers holding onward non-refundable tickets on separate itineraries should therefore check insurance coverage. Looking ahead, analysts say the decision underscores how quickly geopolitical tensions can ripple into European airline networks. Employers with mobility programmes into the Gulf are advised to maintain flexible ticketing policies, monitor NOTAM updates daily, and brief expatriate staff on possible last-minute schedule shifts.
Source: Wego Travel Blog
