Cathay Pacific has extended its suspension of flights to Dubai and Riyadh until early 2027, citing the ongoing conflict in the Middle East as the reason behind the continued disruption.
Flights Canceled Through January 2027
According to an official statement from the airline on Monday, September 28, 2026, Cathay Pacific has canceled flights to both cities through January 31, 2027. As compensation, the airline’s management is offering affected passengers the option to reschedule or request a full refund.
“In light of recent developments in the Middle East, Cathay Pacific passenger flights to Dubai and Riyadh have been canceled through January 31, 2027. Affected passengers will be given the option to rebook, change their route, or receive a refund,” the airline said in an official statement on Saturday, October 3.
A Suspension That Began in March
This isn’t the first time Cathay Pacific has halted service to these destinations. The airline initially suspended flights to Dubai and Riyadh back in March 2026, following a U.S. and Israeli military strike on Iran that resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Since that initial strike, the conflict in the region has continued to escalate. Iran has carried out a series of retaliatory attacks across various parts of the Middle East, while numerous airlines have suspended flights and rerouted their paths to avoid affected airspace entirely.
A Planned Comeback That Didn’t Happen
According to Hong Kong Free Press, Cathay Pacific had actually planned to resume daily flights to Dubai and four weekly flights to Riyadh starting in September. However, those plans were scrapped once again in mid-July.
The airline said this latest decision was based on the current situation in the Middle East. Unfortunately, the security situation in the region remains unstable to this day, with no clear signs of near-term resolution.
Broader Impact on Oil Prices and Regional Tensions
The ongoing tension has also affected global oil prices, which spiked last month amid growing concerns over the security situation in the region, a reminder of how closely tied Middle East stability remains to global energy markets.
Adding to the uncertainty, U.S. President Donald Trump stated last week that Washington is considering launching another strike against Iran. That statement came shortly after Houthi forces carried out an attack on Riyadh, further escalating tensions across the region.
What This Means for Travelers
For passengers who had booked flights to Dubai or Riyadh with Cathay Pacific during the affected period, reaching out to the airline directly to process a rebooking, route change, or refund would be the most immediate next step.
Given how frequently this suspension has already been extended, first from March, then planned to resume in September, only to be postponed again in July, and now pushed to January 2027, travelers planning trips to the Middle East in the coming months may want to build flexibility into their travel plans and monitor the situation closely before finalizing bookings with any airline serving the region.
The broader pattern also signals that disruptions to Middle East air travel may persist well into 2027 if the underlying security situation doesn’t show meaningful signs of stabilizing in the near term.
