Gulf hubs are open after the attacks on Saudi airports, but connections are slower and thinner

If your flight to Asia or Africa connects in the Gulf, it is very likely still flying. Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Doha, Bahrain, Muscat and Amman airports "remain operational", the US Mission to Saudi Arabia said on 19 October. Saudi Arabia is a different story, and the attacks there have changed how the region's flights are routed.

What happened in Saudi Arabia

Houthi forces in Yemen attacked Saudi airports repeatedly from 5 October. Jizan and Najran were hit first, then Abha and Riyadh. On Saturday 10 October, at about 3pm, a missile struck Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport, killing 12 people and wounding 309, according to Saudi Arabia's General Authority of Civil Aviation, and the airport was attacked again the next evening. The GOV.UK advice for Saudi Arabia, updated on 21 October, says the airport "continues to be targeted and remains at risk of further attacks".

King Khalid reopened on Sunday 18 October, The National and aviation briefings report, but every arrival and departure needs the authority's prior permission; the US Mission's alert the next day still described its operations as suspended. On 21 October only Saudia and flynas were operating there, AP reported, while Lufthansa and Air France have cancelled flights into mid-November. Jeddah and Dammam are open, with some delays and cancellations.

What the Gulf airlines are doing

Etihad has cancelled all Abu Dhabi–Riyadh and Abu Dhabi–Dammam flights, and some Jeddah flights, through Saturday 24 October. Qatar Airways' travel alert says Riyadh and Dammam flights are "temporarily suspended" and gives no end date; The National reports 24 October. A flydubai spokesperson told the Khaleej Times its Abha, Dammam and Riyadh flights are cancelled up to and including 24 October. Gulf News reports Emirates cancellations on its Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam routes. Expect those dates to move.

Connecting through Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi

The hubs work, but not as before. Europe's aviation safety agency, EASA, tells European airlines to stay out of the airspace over the Persian Gulf except when arriving at or leaving Gulf airports, and out of parts of Saudi airspace, so many flights take longer routes; flydubai warns that flight times and Dubai transfers may be longer. Some foreign airlines are still staying away. Singapore Airlines has cancelled its Singapore–Dubai flights until 1 December. EASA's bulletin for Saudi airspace links the risk to the wider military conflict between the United States and Iran.

Leave more time than usual between flights if you book separate tickets, and check your airline's status page the day before you fly, not just at booking.

Official advice

The UK advises against all but essential travel to Saudi Arabia and against all travel within 10km of the Yemen border; it does not advise against travel to the UAE or Qatar, but warns of possible cancellations and airspace closures across the region. Travelling against UK advice can invalidate your insurance. The US rates Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar at Level 3, reconsider travel, and asks its own staff in Saudi Arabia to get permission before using any Saudi airport.

One more rule if you are in Saudi Arabia, even in transit: the interior ministry warns that filming or sharing images of intercepted missiles, drones or impact sites exposes you to legal liability, and the US Mission says Americans have been detained for photographing airports and government buildings.