Scoot extends cancellations of Jeddah flights to end February

SINGAPORE: Budget carrier Scoot has extended cancellations of its flights between Singapore and Jeddah to Feb 28, 2027, citing the geopolitical situation in the Middle East.

The airline had previously cancelled flights to and from the Saudi Arabian city until Dec 2.

In an advisory updated on Monday (Nov 2), said the cancellations of flights TR796 (Singapore-Jeddah) and TR797 (Jeddah-Singapore) would be extended by almost three months.

“Customers affected by the flight cancellations may request a full refund if they choose not to continue with their travel,” said Scoot.

Those who booked directly with the airline can contact it by email for the refund, while those who booked through travel agencies or partner airlines are advised to contact them for assistance, it added.

“Customers are also strongly advised to update their contact details via the ‘Manage My Booking’ function on our website or subscribe to a mobile notification service to receive updates to their flight status,” said Scoot.

Singapore Airlines announced last Friday that it would be extending the cancellation of its flights between Singapore and Dubai until Feb 28, 2027, instead of resuming them in December, also citing the region’s geopolitical situation.

Concerns about further escalation in the Middle East had been mounting after Israel threatened to renew strikes on Iran and reports that the US could launch new attacks after its mid-term elections on Nov 3.

However, US President Donald Trump signalled progress in talks with Iran on Monday, raising hopes of an agreement to avoid a renewed conflict.

A deal with Tehran "could happen", the US president wrote on his Truth Social platform, adding that "Iran wants a settlement, as soon as possible".

Vice President JD Vance separately said that both he and Trump were optimistic about securing an agreement.

"We've certainly made some progress. We'll see if we can make some more," Vance told reporters on Monday.

The Middle East has also been affected by conflict between the Iran-backed Houthis and the Saudi-backed, internationally recognised Yemeni government as well.

The group has ramped up attacks on Saudi Arabia, including launching deadly strikes on the Riyadh airport that forced its shuttering for two weeks as flagship events were cancelled, threatening the kingdom's economic diversification plans.

The Houthis said recently that they targeted the kingdom’s Dammam airport and claimed strikes on a Saudi early-warning radar and a military transport plane.