Six major international airlines have announced that they won’t return to Dubai until next year.

Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific has joined US-based United Airlines, Air Canada, British operator Virgin Atlantic, Finnair and Luxair in taking the difficult decision to delay their return to Dubai International Airport until 2027.

Despite operations continuing as normal at DXB, several foreign-based airlines are yet to return to the UAE following the regional disruption earlier this year.

However, Emirates and flydubai continue to fly all over the world and several regional airlines such as flynas, Qatar Airways, Saudia and Gulf Air have also resumed flights to DXB. Additionally, Indigo, Air India, Air France and Turkish Airlines all continue to operate routes to Dubai.

While the majority of major foreign long-haul operators intend to return to the emirate from the end of October as part of their winter schedules, United Airlines, Air Canada, Finnair, Luxair and Virgin Atlantic won’t return until 2027.

Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths has said that many foreign-based airlines have struggled to secure insurance allowing them to return to the region.

Cathay Pacific to return to Dubai in January 2027

Cathay Pacific has announced that it has cancelled all flights to Dubai up to and including Sunday January 31.

The Hong Kong-based airline was due to return to the emirate at the end of November but has now pushed back its regional return once again.

In addition to Dubai flights, the airline has also announced that it won’t return to Riyadh until Sunday January 31 either.

Flexible ticket conditions have been introduced for affected travellers to allow those with existing bookings to easily rebook, reroute or grab a refund.

United Airlines to resume Dubai flights in March 2027

US-based carrier United Airlines first suspended its operations to Dubai back in February 2026. The airline has stated that it intends to resume nonstop flights between Newark and Dubai in March 2027.

The world’s largest airline in terms of flight capacity and international reach, United is offering its customers refunds for flights that were originally scheduled between October 24 2026 and March 27 2027.

United has advised its customers to take advantage of the airline’s partnership with Emirates. The DXB-based airline continues to offer nonstop flights from Dubai to six of United’s main US travel hubs.

Luxair delays Dubai return

Luxembourg’s national airline Luxair has postponed the relaunch of its Dubai service, with flights now scheduled to resume in February 2027 at the earliest.

Previously, the carrier was among several foreign-based airlines expected to resume flights in October 2026 but these plans are now on hold.

The airline was also due to launch flights to Abu Dhabi but this service is expected to launch in late 2027 instead. 

Finnair suspends winter flights between Helsinki and Dubai

Finnish flag carrier Finnair has suspended its flights between Helsinki and Dubai for the winter season 2026/27.

The airline was due to return to the emirate between October 25 2026 and March 27 2027 but has decided to extend its suspension.

Finnair typically operates a seasonal route between the capital of Finland and the UAE’s largest city. The announcement of an extended suspension means it is unlikely that the airline will return to Dubai until at least October 2027.

Air Canada to return to Dubai in March 2027

Air Canada will not operate its Dubai route until the end of March 2027, according to the airline’s latest travel update.

The national flag carrier of Canada was due to return to the region in January as part of its winter schedule but has now decided to delay the resumption of flight operations to Dubai International Airport.

Those who were due to travel with Air Canada to Dubai should know that the airline has introduced a flexible booking policy to allow you to rebook at a later date with no additional fees, rebook to another destination with no additional fees or cancel your booking and get credit on your next Air Canada trip.

Virgin Atlantic to return to Dubai in 2027

Virgin Atlantic typically operates a seasonal route between London Heathrow and Dubai but this was placed on pause earlier this year.

The daily service between the two global travel hubs will return for the 2027 winter season, according to the latest information on the Virgin Atlantic website.

Virgin Atlantic has advised travellers that year-round flights are available with its codeshare partner airlines such as China Eastern, IndiGo and Kenya Airways. Meanwhile, its joint venture partner airlines, KLM and Air France, are expected to resume flights to Dubai later this year.

Source: Timeoutdubai