Cathay Pacific Just Wrote Off the Middle East Until Nearly February

Cathay Pacific has cancelled all of its passenger services to the Middle East through January 31, 2027, a decision that takes a major Asian carrier out of the region for nearly three months. The announcement is part of a wider pullback by airlines from parts of the Gulf, where the security situation has stayed volatile and schedules keep being rewritten.

European carriers are making similar adjustments on a smaller scale. Lufthansa Group says Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines and Edelweiss have suspended all flights to Dammam in Saudi Arabia through November 30. Because the cancellations are rolling rather than permanent, travelers with future bookings face the awkward task of checking whether their specific sector is still operating.

Australia’s Smartraveller service has also weighed in, advising its citizens to reconsider the need to travel to Saudi Arabia overall because of the region’s security situation. It recommends against travel within 30 kilometers of the Yemen border and warns that flights in the south of the country may be cancelled or rescheduled at short notice.

Travel industry guidance is blunt: reconfirm every sector for bookings involving Riyadh, Dammam or Jeddah, including Umrah trips, and understand your rebooking, refund and insurance options before you pay for anything non-refundable. If your itinerary connects through the region, ask your airline whether an alternative routing is available.

Sources: Travel Monitor