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KLM extends Dubai cancellations, Riyadh loses 86% of flights, Airbus faces a US loan challenge and JetBlue reports a wider loss.
Airlines are still counting the cost of the security crisis in Saudi Arabia, and passengers booked to Dubai face a longer interruption to KLM services. The aviation news for Tuesday 27 October also brings a fresh US–EU dispute over Airbus financing, JetBlue’s quarterly results, a European aviation safety assessment and a significant claim from Libya about restrictions on its airspace. Each development raises a different question: when flights can resume, how airlines can absorb costs and what regulators can substantiate.
KLM cancels Amsterdam–Dubai flights until 27 March 2027
KLM has extended its suspension of flights between Amsterdam Schiphol and Dubai to 27 March 2027, covering the entire 2026–27 winter timetable. The Dutch carrier announced the decision on Monday, 26 October. Its Saudi Arabian routes are subject to a shorter published extension: flights to Riyadh and Dammam are cancelled until 27 November 2026.
That distinction matters to passengers planning journeys through Schiphol. The new Dubai date should not be applied indiscriminately to every Middle Eastern destination on KLM’s network. The airline has revised its schedules repeatedly as regional security conditions have changed and says customers affected by cancellations will be contacted. Travellers should check their individual bookings and the airline’s current rebooking and refund arrangements rather than relying on an earlier travel notice.
Sources: Reuters, 26 October 2026; KLM travel alerts (subject to updates).
Riyadh airport lost 86% of scheduled flights during October attacks, data shows
New figures show how deeply the attacks on Saudi aviation have affected the kingdom’s capital. Of 4,736 flights scheduled at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport between 8 and 25 October, 4,071 were cancelled, according to aviation data provider Cirium cited by Reuters on Monday. The cancellation rate was approximately 86%. Across Saudi airports, more than 7,800 flights were cancelled over the same period, equivalent to about 45% of the scheduled programme.
Riyadh airport partially reopened on Sunday 25 October, restoring domestic operations and a limited number of international flights by Saudi carriers. The Houthis claimed a further attack on Monday, but that claim should not be treated as independently established confirmation of a new strike. The data describe flights rather than individual travellers; they do not reveal how many passengers remain stranded. International services continue to depend on airline decisions and security assessments.
US warns that $3.4bn Airbus loan could unsettle transatlantic trade truce
Washington has challenged the transparency of a $3.4 billion loan provided to Airbus by the European Investment Bank in June. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Monday that his office had not received the information it sought and warned that the uncertainty could undermine the agreement governing support for large civil aircraft. The warning was reported early on Tuesday, 27 October.
Airbus says the loan is conventional corporate borrowing on terms comparable to commercial finance, intended in part to diversify its funding. The EIB has also rejected suggestions that it offered unusual assistance. No finding that the loan breaches trade rules has been established. The dispute nevertheless carries weight because the United States and European Union only suspended their long-running aircraft subsidy battle in 2021, after years of litigation involving Boeing and Airbus.
Source: Reuters, 27 October 2026.
European aviation safety review finds broadly stable outcomes, with risks differing by sector
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency published its Annual Safety Review 2026 on Monday. Although the report carries a 2026 title, it examines safety outcomes in 2025 and compares them with the preceding decade. Its scope extends beyond passenger airlines to helicopters, general aviation, aerodromes and air traffic management.
EASA says fatal accidents and fatalities were at or below the previous ten-year average in almost every operational domain. The agency stresses, however, that performance differs between sectors and that targeted safety work remains necessary. A new six-page summary accompanies the full review for the first time, offering a shorter route into the headline statistics and principal hazards. The report is a retrospective assessment, not a guarantee about the safety of any particular flight.
Source: EASA, 26 October 2026.
JetBlue posts $257m quarterly loss despite a 21% rise in revenue
JetBlue’s third-quarter results, released on Monday, show how higher fares and stronger revenue can coexist with mounting losses. The US airline reported $2.812 billion in operating revenue, up 21.1% year on year, while its net loss widened to $257 million from $143 million. Its average jet fuel cost rose by 57% to $3.91 a gallon.
Revenue per available seat mile improved sharply, but operating costs rose too. JetBlue reported $2.2 billion in liquidity at the end of September and continues to target sustained operating profitability in 2027. That remains a management forecast, not a confirmed turnaround. The results provide another example of the pressure facing airlines when fuel inflation absorbs much of the benefit from higher ticket prices and improved sales.
Libya says aviation restrictions imposed during its civil war have been lifted
Libya’s transport ministry says international aviation restrictions dating from 2015 have been removed. According to the ministry’s account, reported by Reuters on Monday, the decision was issued on 23 October and announced by International Civil Aviation Organization Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar at a meeting in Doha. The claim comes after years in which instability constrained air links and the use of Libyan airspace.
Tripoli also says requests to transit its airspace have increased sharply ahead of the winter season. Those are official Libyan assertions rather than independently verified counts of flights actually flown. The practical effect of the change, including implementation by other authorities and decisions by individual airlines, still needs confirmation. A reported removal of restrictions should not be confused with an immediate restoration of a full international passenger network.
Source: Reuters, reporting Libyan ministry statements, 26 October 2026.
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