Air France Suspends Dubai and Riyadh Flights (July 2026)

Riyadh, Dubai, Beirut: three destinations, three deadlines

According to Euronews, Air France announced on 20 July 2026 that it was suspending flights to Riyadh (RUH) up to and including 24 July (25 July for departures from Riyadh) and to Dubai (DXB) up to and including 27 July (28 July for departures from Dubai). The airline also extended the suspension of its Beirut route up to and including 2 August — just as that route’s resumption had been due to happen on the very day of the announcement, according to Gulf News. Air France cites « the safety of our customers and crews », adding that resuming operations depends on a fresh assessment of the local security situation.

What Air France is offering affected passengers

• Cancellation with a refund, or rebooking your dates, at no extra cost
• Individual contact by email or text if your flight is affected, even before it’s been formally cancelled
• Manage it through your « My Bookings » area if you booked directly, or via your travel agent otherwise

A reversal, not just an extension

What sets this announcement apart from the suspension waves of March to May 2026 (which we covered at the time — see our guide Suspended Middle East flights: alternatives from London) is that it comes after a genuine period of normalisation. Air France had gradually resumed flights to Riyadh on 6 June 2026 and to Dubai in early July, after a US-Iran ceasefire agreement was signed on 17 June. That agreement weakened in early July, as tensions flared again around the Strait of Hormuz.

On 14 July 2026, EASA published a new conflict zone bulletin (CZIB-2026-07), advising all operators under its jurisdiction to avoid the airspace of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and part of the Gulf of Oman, citing an escalation of the US-Iran conflict with knock-on effects across several Gulf states. That same day, fire attributed to the Houthis (Yemen) hit Abha airport in southern Saudi Arabia, roughly 800km from Riyadh; the Saudi capital itself intercepted missiles and drones, with no damage reported on the ground.

The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) takes a slightly different line: as of its last update (13 July 2026), it does not advise against all travel to the UAE as a whole, though it does flag the situation as unpredictable and warns that attacks could resume with very little notice. For Saudi Arabia, FCDO advice — also last updated 13 July 2026 — singles out the strip along the Yemen border rather than Riyadh itself. Both pages move fast in the current climate, so check gov.uk again right before you travel rather than relying on what you read here.

Refund, rebooking, rerouting: what you’re entitled to ask for

According to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), your rights if a flight is cancelled because of a geopolitical crisis are still protected — under UK Regulation 261 if your journey starts in the UK, or EU Regulation 261/2004 if you’re flying via Paris on Air France, an EU carrier — regardless of the reason the airline gives. Here’s exactly what to do if your flight to Riyadh, Dubai or Beirut is affected:

Steps to take

• Check your flight status directly on airfrance.co.uk before heading to the airport
• Double-check your contact details on your booking — Air France reaches out individually to affected passengers
• A cash refund is your right; the airline can’t force a voucher on you instead
• If your flight has already left and you’re stranded, free rerouting via an alternative hub (Istanbul, Cairo, Jeddah) is an obligation, not a goodwill gesture
• Keep every receipt for expenses you incur (meals, hotel, transport) if you’re stuck for longer than expected
• If Air France refuses or doesn’t respond within eight weeks, escalate free of charge to AviationADR (Air France is a signed-up member) — worth doing before any legal action

Which airlines are still flying to the region

Gulf-based carriers are keeping most of their network running. According to Khaleej Times, Emirates has kept the vast majority of its global destinations, Qatar Airways still serves both Dubai and Riyadh via its Doha hub, and Turkish low-cost carrier Pegasus offers cheaper Dubai fares from London Stansted, Gatwick and Luton. For Riyadh specifically, Saudia (the Saudi flag carrier) keeps flying direct from London Heathrow — around 38 flights a week at last count — with Qatar Airways via Doha as a backup. One newcomer is worth watching: Riyadh Air, Saudi Arabia’s fledgling national carrier, opened its first proper commercial network on 1 July 2026 and is rolling out to around 15 destinations this summer — London Heathrow was actually among its very first routes, already flying daily with a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner since mid-June 2026.

Before you book

• According to Travelers Today, around a dozen international carriers — including British Airways, the Lufthansa Group, Singapore Airlines, Air Canada, ITA Airways, Wizz Air and easyJet — remain suspended to Dubai until autumn 2026, a list that includes both of the UK’s own Dubai operators
• Long-haul fares have risen 15-30% since February 2026 because of soaring fuel costs, but airlines can’t retroactively add a surcharge to tickets you’ve already bought
• Ryanair resumed flights to Amman (Jordan) across its European network from 1 July 2026 — a useful regional alternative, though it doesn’t fly directly to Dubai or Riyadh