Singapore Airlines (SIA) has pushed back its return to Dubai to 25 October and trimmed its planned Riyadh launch to three weekly flights, citing the geopolitical situation in the Middle East.
For trade partners selling the Gulf from Asia and Europe via Singapore, the changes mean a longer wait for capacity on one of the carrier’s key onward corridors and a smaller opening schedule in Saudi Arabia.
The Dubai service will operate daily with the Airbus A350 medium-haul aircraft in a two-class layout of 40 business class and 263 economy seats, with no first class or premium economy on the route, according to the aviation blog Mainly Miles.
Riyadh is now due to start on 1 December, down from the four weekly flights originally planned. That is a 25 per cent cut in capacity. The schedule runs to 25 March 2027 and is also operated by the A350.
The delays follow renewed tension between the United States and Iran after an interim peace deal in June proved short-lived. Gulf carriers and several international airlines have repeatedly pushed back their return to the region this year. For related coverage, see our report on Riyadh Air’s Manila flights.
Agents with clients booked on the affected dates should check the latest schedule directly with the airline, as further changes remain possible. The dates above are as reported by third-party sources and have not been confirmed in a primary SIA release.