Saudi Airlines resumes regional routes

Saudia restarted limited flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Amman on Saturday, April 11, restoring three direct regional links from Jeddah after weeks of disruption. (saudia.com) The airline said the restart covers six daily “exceptional” flights: SV588 and SV589 for Jeddah-Dubai, SV570 and SV571 for Jeddah-Abu Dhabi, and SV631 and SV632 for Jeddah-Amman. (saudia.com) Saudia posted the update on April 9 and told passengers to check flight status before leaving for the airport, signaling that the schedule remains provisional rather than a full return to normal service. (saudia.com) Those routes had been caught up in a broader regional aviation disruption that shut or restricted traffic across Gulf hubs including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha in March. Reuters reported on March 18 that the conflict had stranded tens of thousands of passengers and forced airlines worldwide to cancel or reroute flights. (al-monitor.com) Saudia’s own advisories show how the disruption evolved. On March 6, it extended suspensions for Amman, Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha and Bahrain through March 8, then reopened Dubai on a limited basis on March 7 before adding Abu Dhabi and Amman back on April 11. (saudia.com) The latest move puts Jeddah back in direct contact with two United Arab Emirates hubs and Jordan’s capital, but only on a reduced operating plan. Saudia has not said that wider regional schedules have fully resumed. (saudia.com) Other carriers in the region are also rebuilding schedules in stages rather than all at once. Reuters reported last month that Emirates, Etihad Airways and flydubai had begun a “cautious and complex” resumption after the airspace closures. (dawn.com) That helps explain why Saudia described the new services as exceptional flights: airlines across the Gulf are still adjusting routes, timings and overflight plans as security conditions shift. Travel advisories across the region continue to warn passengers that timetables can change at short notice. (cntravellerme.com) For travelers, the practical change is simple but narrow: as of April 11, nonstop Saudia service is back on three short-haul regional corridors, with Jeddah as the operating point on all six listed flights. (saudia.com)