Dubai’s airport is busy, but the long-haul airlines that fill its luxury hotels are mostly staying out until spring. Hotels organizing around a European winter rebound need to plan for a later one.
At least 16 airlines from outside the Gulf are still not flying to Dubai, and several now won’t return until the end of March. That removes much of the long-haul capacity Dubai’s hotels were counting on this winter.
The latest delays have come through in the past week. Dutch carrier KLM said on October 26 it will not fly to Dubai at all during the 2026/27 winter season, which runs to March 27. Germany’s Lufthansa Group said on October 23 it would push its return to November 25, the latest in a string of delays since March. Both now sit alongside Finnair, United, Air Canada and low-cost carrier Wizz Air, which are also staying out until spring.
The timing hurts Dubai’s hotels. Some operators told Skift last week that they expected European airlines to come back with the winter schedules in late October, and some said that was already lifting December bookings. Forward data was already more cautious. As of September 30, booked nights at Dubai short-term re
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Tags: airlines, disruption, dubai, gulf carriers, hotels, middle east, tourism, wanderlust