Over 20 airlines revised Middle East schedules: BA delays Dubai to Nov 3, Lufthansa stages an October comeback, Virgin out till Oct 2027. Full restart dates and rights.
Cover image: aircraft parked at gates at Dubai International Airport — photo by Andy Mabbett, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
More than 20 airlines have revised Middle East schedules for autumn and winter 2026, with British Airways, Air France and the Lufthansa Group setting new restart dates for Dubai, Riyadh, Tel Aviv and Beirut. Virgin Atlantic has pushed its Dubai return to October 2027, Finnair is out until late March 2027, and KLM is routing Tel Aviv via a Larnaca crew stop. For travel sellers, the Gulf is now a patchwork of staggered restarts stretching into 2027.
Why are airlines still holding back on the Gulf?
The reason given across carriers is persistent regional geopolitical uncertainty: airspace restrictions linked to the US, Israel and Iran confrontation and worsening conditions around the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Gulf. Limited air capacity and a volatile security picture have turned what began as short suspensions into season-long schedule rewrites, a pattern already visible in airBaltic's fuel-shock bankruptcy filing and the US sanctions squeeze on Iran-linked aviation.
What are British Airways and Air France doing?
British Airways has pushed its London-Dubai restart to November 3 instead of October 25, beginning with one daily winter frequency and rising to two daily in summer. Abu Dhabi stays off until winter 2027-28, Doha is back but cut from two daily to one, Tel Aviv returns October 25 with one daily, Riyadh returns November 3 with one daily, Amman returns November 4 with four per week, Bahrain is suspended until end-March 2027, and Jeddah has been stopped. Air France has restored regular Tel Aviv and Riyadh service, but Dubai is suspended through September 19 and Beirut through September 24.
When does Lufthansa Group return to Dubai?
The Lufthansa Group is staging a gradual Dubai comeback from late October. Lufthansa restarts Munich-Dubai on October 25 and Frankfurt-Dubai on October 26 at up to five per week. Swiss goes daily Zurich-Dubai from October 27, Austrian flies Vienna-Dubai from December 12 at up to five per week, and Eurowings operates Berlin-Dubai daily from November 1 plus Stuttgart-Dubai four per week and Cologne Bonn-Dubai three per week from November 3. "The safety of passengers and crew is always the top priority for the Lufthansa Group," the company said. The group is also restarting Tel Aviv, Beirut and Amman. The German carrier's Gulf exposure matters beyond schedules: Lufthansa has already felt jet-fuel disruption in Africa this month.
| Airline | Key Middle East status, September 2026 |
|---|---|
| British Airways | Dubai restarts Nov 3; Abu Dhabi off till winter 2027-28; Jeddah stopped |
| Virgin Atlantic | Dubai suspended till Oct 2027 |
| Air Canada | Tel Aviv and Dubai out until mid-Jan 2027 |
| Finnair | Dubai and Doha out until Mar 27, 2027 |
| KLM | Riyadh, Dammam, Dubai out till Oct 24; Tel Aviv via Larnaca crew stop |
| Delta | Atlanta-Tel Aviv out till Dec 18; JFK-Tel Aviv back Sept 6 |
| Cathay Pacific | Hong Kong-Dubai and Hong Kong-Riyadh pushed to Nov 30 |
| Singapore Airlines | Dubai suspension extended to Oct 24 |
| Korean Air | Incheon-Dubai still out, no restart date |
| airBaltic | Riga-Dubai out until Oct 24 |
Which Asian and Gulf carriers are affected?
The disruption is not only European. Cathay Pacific pushed its Hong Kong-Dubai and Hong Kong-Riyadh pauses to November 30. Singapore Airlines extended its Dubai halt, previously ending August 2, to October 24, warning that "as the situation remains fluid, other flights may be affected." Scoot suspended Singapore-Jeddah until October 7. Philippine Airlines restored Manila-Doha but kept Manila-Dubai out until October 2. Air Astana's Almaty and Astana Dubai flights stay cancelled at least until September 30. Korean Air's Incheon-Dubai service remains suspended with no restart date set. Turkish Airlines is back to Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Damascus, Beirut and Amman, with Tehran still suspended. Emirates itself has trimmed A380 deployments, with Dubai-Bahrain partly restored at one daily and Dubai-Kuwait still fully suspended.
What rebooking rights do passengers have?
Policies vary by carrier, but flexibility is broad. American Airlines' Tel Aviv alert covers one free change for tickets bought by March 28, 2026 on trips booked up to March 26, 2027, with rebooking permitted through April 2, 2027; its Doha alert runs February 28, 2026 to January 6, 2027 with rebooking through January 13, 2027. Cathay Pacific told affected travellers they "will be offered the flexibility to rebook, reroute or refund their tickets." KLM said: "We always check the situation and adjust our flights to keep you safe and give you the best options." Air Canada's line to customers: "Your safety is our top priority."
Agents should verify each booking with the carrier before clients travel, avoid sending passengers to the airport without a confirmed operating flight, and know that EU and UK delay-compensation rules treat airspace-closure cancellations as extraordinary circumstances, so refunds and rerouting, not cash compensation, are the remedy to chase.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to fly to Dubai right now?
Airlines say yes on the routes they still operate, and Dubai airport itself is open with flights running. The suspensions reflect airspace risk on certain routings, crew-night-stop constraints and limited capacity linked to regional tensions, not the safety of the destination. Always check your specific flight status directly with the airline before travelling.
When will British Airways fly to Dubai again?
British Airways plans to restart London-Dubai on November 3, 2026 with one daily winter frequency, rising to two daily in summer. Doha is already back at one daily, Tel Aviv returns October 25 and Riyadh on November 3, but Abu Dhabi stays suspended until winter 2027-28 and the Jeddah route has been discontinued entirely.
Can I get a refund for a cancelled Middle East flight?
Yes. Passengers on cancelled flights are entitled to a full refund at the point of purchase or free rebooking to later dates or alternate destinations under carrier policies. Most affected bookings also carry a one-time free change, with American Airlines publishing the longest windows, stretching rebooking rights into spring 2027 on some routes.
Why is KLM stopping in Larnaca on Tel Aviv flights?
KLM resumed Tel Aviv service but added a scheduled stop in Larnaca, Cyprus so that crews can overnight outside the conflict zone rather than laying over in Tel Aviv. The airline avoids Iranian, Iraqi and Israeli airspace plus parts of the Arabian Gulf on its routings, and says it continuously reviews the situation.
