Dubai’s airport remains busy, but the long-haul airlines that typically fill its luxury hotels are mostly staying out until spring. 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 2027. 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.
KLM and Lufthansa Delay Dubai Flights
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 rentals were down 36% year over year for November, according to AirDNA, with December down 8% and January down 6%.
UAE hotel occupancy fell 12.3 points year over year to 67.6% in September, according to CoStar. Dubai International is not short of flights. Time Out Dubai reports it is running close to full capacity on Emirates and flydubai schedules. But the missing carriers feed long-haul guests from their own networks, and those guests matter most to luxury hotels.
Regional Disruptions Impact Travel
In Saudi Arabia, suspensions follow a month of Houthi attacks on the kingdom’s airports, including an October 10 strike at Riyadh’s King Khalid International that killed 13 people. Cirium data shows 86% of scheduled Riyadh departures were canceled since October 8. These regional disruptions add to the uncertainty facing Dubai winter travel plans.
Source: Skift
