Cathay Pacific extends Dubai and Riyadh flight suspension through November

Hong Kong's national airline, Cathay Pacific Airways, has extended the suspension of its passenger flights to Dubai and Riyadh until at least December, delaying the return of its Middle East services by nine months. The airline cited "the latest developments in the Middle East" as the reason for the prolonged postponement, with all services to both cities now cancelled through November 30.

Affected passengers are being given the option to rebook, reroute, or receive a refund on their tickets. Cathay Pacific will continue to monitor the situation in the Middle East and reassess the timing for resuming freighter services to Dubai and Riyadh. The latest announcement comes amid ongoing tensions between the United States and Iran, which has been at a diplomatic stalemate since February.

The US has been pressuring Iran through a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, but the conflict remains unresolved. Cathay Pacific initially cancelled flights to Dubai and Riyadh on February 28, with plans to resume passenger and freighter services from September 1. However, the airline postponed the resumption to late October and later removed the date for freighter services, leaving the future of its Middle East operations uncertain.

Emirates and Qatar Airways, on the other hand, have continued to operate flights from Hong Kong to Dubai and Doha, respectively, after gradually resuming services from March.