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.
Nearly 20 airlines from outside the Gulf are still not flying to Dubai, and several won’t return until the end of March. That removes much of the long-haul capacity Dubai’s hotels were counting on this winter.
Singapore Airlines said on Friday it will not fly to Dubai until February 28, and Air France has extended its Riyadh suspension to December 12, according to published reports. That follows KLM’s decision on October 26 to skip Dubai for the whole winter season, and Lufthansa Group’s move on October 23 to push its return to November 25. These moves 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 ni
Subscribe now for complete access to Skift.com’s trusted coverage of the travel industry.
Enter your email for a complimentary article + exclusive offers.
Tags: airlines, disruption, dubai, gulf carriers, hotels, middle east, tourism, wanderlust