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Thousands of travellers were disrupted in the Middle East today as widespread aviation disruptions led to 593 delays and 51 cancellations across Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Qatar, and Bahrain, at Dubai International Airport (98 delays, 7 cancellations) in Dubai, Sharjah International Airport (24 delays, 15 cancellations) in Sharjah, Cairo International Airport (161 delays, 8 cancellations) in Cairo, Bahrain International Airport (8 delays, 9 cancellations) in Manama, King Khalid International Airport (104 delays, 4 cancellations) in Riyadh, King Abdulaziz International Airport (115 delays, 2 cancellations) in Jeddah, Hamad International Airport (51 delays, 1 cancellation) in Doha, Ras Al Khaimah International Airport (1 delay, 2 cancellations) in Ras Al Khaimah, and King Fahd International Airport (31 delays, 3 cancellations) in Dammam.
The most affected airlines include Saudia (87 delays, 3 cancellations), Egypt Air (76 delays, 2 cancellations), Emirates (70 delays), Flynas (62 delays), Qatar Airways (51 delays, 1 cancellation), flyadeal (43 delays), FlyDubai (33 delays, 9 cancellations), and Air Arabia (28 delays, 25 cancellations). Other prominent carriers such as IndiGo (8 delays), Etihad Airways (5 delays), and Kuwait Airways (4 delays) also reported operational disruptions across these major airports.
The disruptions span key hubs in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Qatar.

• Updated today: A total of 593 delays and 51 cancellations were recorded across 9 major airports.
• Cairo International Airport reported the highest delays with 161 flights impacted.
• Sharjah International Airport recorded the highest cancellations at 15 flights.
• Saudia, Egypt Air, and Emirates led delay volumes across multiple hubs.
• Air Arabia accounted for nearly half of all cancellations in the dataset.
• Dubai, Riyadh, and Jeddah remained key disruption hotspots due to heavy traffic.
• Qatar Airways handled all delays at Hamad International Airport.

Most Affected Airports

Cairo International Airport

Cairo saw the highest delay volume in the Middle East today, driven primarily by disruptions to Egypt Air, along with contributions from Saudia, flyadeal, and Emirates.

King Abdulaziz International Airport (Jeddah)

Jeddah experienced heavy delays led by Saudia and Flynas, with additional pressure from flyadeal and Air Arabia.

King Khalid International Airport (Riyadh)

Riyadh recorded significant delays with Saudia and Flynas leading disruptions, alongside flyadeal and Emirates.

Dubai International Airport

Dubai’s disruptions were dominated by Emirates and FlyDubai, with smaller impacts from Egypt Air and SpiceJet.

Sharjah International Airport

Sharjah faced the highest cancellations in the Middle East today, largely concentrated around Air Arabia operations.

Hamad International Airport (Doha)

All delays at Hamad were attributed to Qatar Airways, reflecting a centralized operational impact.

Bahrain International Airport

Bahrain saw moderate disruption, with Gulf Air and FlyDubai contributing most to cancellations and delays.

King Fahd International Airport (Dammam)

Dammam’s disruptions were distributed across flyadeal, Flynas, Gulf Air, and Kuwait Airways.

Airlines Most Affected by Flight Cancellations and Delays

Saudia

Saudia recorded the highest delay count overall, with disruptions concentrated across Riyadh, Jeddah, and Cairo, alongside a small number of cancellations.

Egypt Air

Egypt Air saw major operational strain, particularly in Cairo, where it accounted for the majority of delays and some cancellations.

Emirates

Emirates experienced substantial delays, especially in Dubai and Cairo, reflecting high traffic volume across its network.

Flynas

Flynas contributed heavily to delays across Saudi airports, particularly in Riyadh and Jeddah.

Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways handled all delays at Doha’s Hamad International Airport and recorded a minimal number of cancellations.

flyadeal

flyadeal faced consistent delays across multiple Saudi hubs, indicating widespread operational pressure.

FlyDubai

FlyDubai reported both significant delays and one of the highest cancellation totals, especially in Dubai and Bahrain.

Air Arabia

Air Arabia was the largest contributor to cancellations, particularly in Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, while also contributing to delays across multiple airports.

Air Cairo

Air Cairo contributed to delays primarily in Cairo, reflecting localized operational disruption.

IndiGo

IndiGo recorded delays across Saudi airports, though at a lower scale compared to regional carriers.

What Can Impacted Passengers Do?

• Check flight status frequently through airline apps or airport websites
• Arrive early at the airport to account for operational delays
• Stay in contact with airline customer support for rebooking options
• Keep essential items and documents easily accessible in carry-on baggage
• Monitor announcements for gate changes or schedule updates
• Consider flexible travel plans where possible

Learn More

Overview of Flight Cancellations

Flight disruptions across the Middle East today, April 15, Dubai, Riyadh, Jeddah, Cairo, Sharjah, Doha, Manama, Ras Al Khaimah, and Dammam highlight the scale of operational strain across the region. Airlines such as Air Arabia, FlyDubai, Saudia, Egypt Air, Emirates, and Qatar Airways were among the most impacted, with delays dominating in high-traffic hubs like Cairo, Dubai, Riyadh, and Jeddah, while cancellations were more concentrated in Sharjah, Bahrain, and Dubai.
The concentration of cancellations by Air Arabia in Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, alongside FlyDubai’s disruptions in Dubai and Bahrain, underscores airline-specific operational challenges. Meanwhile, delay-heavy airports such as Cairo, Riyadh, and Jeddah reflect broader congestion and scheduling pressures.
Across Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Qatar, today’s disruption pattern in the Middle East shows a mix of airline-specific and airport-wide operational impacts, affecting both regional and international connectivity.

Source: Different airports and FlightAware