All the international airlines returning to UAE
Some operators return this autumn while others wait until 2027
DUBAI – International airlines are steadily rebuilding their UAE schedules after months of disruption, with a fresh wave of services due to return from October.
Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, Air India, IndiGo and several other carriers are already operating services, while Air Astana, Wizz Air, Lufthansa Group airlines and other major international operators have announced phased resumptions. The timetable remains fluid, with airlines continuing to review operations based on airspace availability, security assessments and aircraft deployment.
Dubai International Airport (DXB) has recovered around 84 percent of its previous airline capacity, while passenger volumes have reached about 78 percent of earlier levels, according to Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths. The next phase of the recovery will bring additional European and Asian connections, with the biggest concentration of new services scheduled between late October and December.
Here is a list of the major airlines returning to the UAE and the latest dates attached to their schedules.
Air Astana
Air Astana is among the first major international carriers scheduled to restore UAE services in October.
The Kazakhstan-based airline plans to resume Almaty-Dubai flights from October 1, followed by Astana-Dubai services from October 2. Almaty flights are planned to start with four weekly services and increase to 12 a week by the end of October.
Astana-Dubai services are scheduled to begin with three flights a week before rising to 10 weekly. The airline is also planning Boeing 767-300 aircraft on the initial Almaty rotations.
Philippine Airlines
Philippine Airlines is currently scheduled to restore Manila-Dubai services from October 2.
The route remains suspended until that date as the carrier continues to monitor operating conditions. Its return would make it one of the earliest Asian airlines to restore a suspended Dubai connection during the latest recovery phase.
Wizz Air
Wizz Air is preparing one of the largest batches of European services returning to the UAE.
The airline will restore eight routes linking Dubai and Abu Dhabi with six European cities from October 25. The programme will provide 32 weekly UAE services, with six routes and 20 weekly flights serving Abu Dhabi and two routes and 12 weekly flights serving Dubai.
For Abu Dhabi, Budapest and Katowice services are due to restart on October 25, followed by Larnaca, Sofia, Krakow and Cluj from October 27.
Dubai will regain Budapest services five times a week and Bucharest flights daily from October 25.
The routes form part of a wider Wizz Air winter restoration covering 12 routes and 49 weekly flights across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, with about 470,000 seats planned.
The return involves Wizz Air's existing European operation and does not represent the return of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, which ceased its locally based operations in September 2025.
Aegean Airlines
Aegean Airlines is expected to restore its Athens-Dubai service after October 23.
The Greek carrier has already restored several Middle East routes, but Dubai remains outside its operating schedule until the stated date. Its return would add another European connection as the region moves into the northern winter timetable.
Lufthansa
Lufthansa will begin its phased Dubai return on October 25.
The German carrier is scheduled to restart Munich-Dubai flights on October 25 with five weekly services. Frankfurt-Dubai follows on October 26, with the Frankfurt operation planned at four weekly initially before increasing to five weekly from November 9.
The return is part of a broader Lufthansa Group restoration that will eventually provide up to 36 weekly flights to and from Dubai across its airlines.
SWISS
SWISS is scheduled to resume Zurich-Dubai flights from October 27.
The airline plans a daily service, adding another major European connection to Dubai as the winter schedule gets under way. Its Dubai operation remains suspended until October 24, with the restored service following shortly afterwards.
Eurowings
Eurowings is preparing a November return to Dubai.
Services are scheduled to resume from November 1, with the German carrier restoring connections from Berlin, Stuttgart and Cologne/Bonn. Current schedules show different frequencies by route, with Berlin planned daily, Stuttgart four times a week and Cologne/Bonn three times weekly from November 3.
British Airways
British Airways is preparing to bring back its London-Dubai service in November.
The latest September 22 update from The National places the restart on November 3, while earlier schedules had shown November 4. The airline is initially planning one daily Dubai service during winter before increasing to two daily flights in summer.
Passengers with existing bookings should check their individual flight details because the published restart date has changed between schedule updates.
British Airways' near-term restoration covers Dubai, while Abu Dhabi is not included in its immediate UAE return schedule.
Austrian Airlines
Austrian Airlines is scheduled to return to Dubai on December 12.
The Vienna-Dubai service is planned at up to five flights a week, completing another stage of the Lufthansa Group's wider Dubai restoration. The group said its airlines will gradually rebuild Dubai connections from late October, with operations continuing to be assessed in coordination with the relevant authorities.
KLM
KLM remains suspended from Dubai until October 24 under its current schedule.
The Amsterdam-Dubai route is expected to return around the late-October winter timetable, although published schedules have placed the restart around October 25. The Dutch airline continues to adjust its Middle East network according to operational considerations.
Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines has cancelled flights SQ494 and SQ495 between Singapore and Dubai through October 24.
The carrier is expected to restore Dubai capacity after that suspension period, although further changes remain possible depending on regional conditions. Current schedule information places its return among the late-October wave of international services.
ITA Airways
ITA Airways continues to suspend its Dubai operation through October 24.
The Italian carrier has already restored its Rome-Riyadh connection, but Dubai remains outside its active schedule until the late-October period. Affected passengers have been offered alternative travel or refund options under the airline's arrangements.
airBaltic
Latvia's airBaltic is also expected to join the late-October restoration.
Its Riga-Dubai service remains suspended through October 24, with current schedules indicating a potential return around the following winter timetable.
Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines is already operating again between Türkiye and the UAE.
Its Istanbul-Dubai service has returned at four flights a day, while Abu Dhabi frequency has increased to seven flights a week. The airline has also restored services to several other destinations in the region, although operations remain subject to regional airspace conditions.
Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways is operating multiple daily services to Dubai as its wider network continues to recover.
The airline's network has recovered to more than 160 destinations, representing around 85 percent of its previous coverage, according to the information provided in the latest UAE aviation updates.
Air India
Air India has restored its Gulf network alongside Air India Express.
The two carriers together are operating around 780 weekly flights between India and destinations across the region, providing substantial connectivity between the Indian market and the Gulf.
Air India Express
Air India Express has returned to all Gulf destinations it served before the regional disruption.
Kuwait and Salalah were among the final destinations reinstated as the airline rebuilt its Gulf network.
IndiGo
IndiGo continues to operate selected Middle East services.
The Indian low-cost carrier's schedules remain subject to regulatory requirements and airspace conditions affecting individual routes.
flynas
Saudi carrier flynas is operating daily Dubai services.
Its current regional schedule also includes daily flights to Doha and Bahrain, adding to the Gulf connectivity already available to passengers.
Jazeera Airways
Kuwait-based Jazeera Airways is operating selected international services including Dubai.
The airline's schedule can still change at short notice when Kuwait airspace availability affects aircraft rotations.
Oman Air
Oman Air has restored services connecting Oman with Dubai, Amman, Bahrain and Doha.
Some sectors continue to face operational disruption linked to airspace restrictions, meaning individual schedules remain subject to change.
Airlines still waiting
Not every major international carrier is part of the immediate recovery wave.
Cathay Pacific has extended its Dubai passenger suspension until November 30, moving the Hong Kong-Dubai route beyond the main October restoration period.
Finnair has taken Helsinki-Dubai out of its winter programme through March 27, 2027. Air Canada has pushed its Dubai return to mid-January 2027, while Virgin Atlantic's current planning places its Dubai return in October 2027.
Korean Air's Incheon-Dubai service remains suspended until further notice, with no firm restart date published in the latest information.
Pegasus continues to have Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah services suspended, with no confirmed UAE restart date in the latest schedule information.
Norwegian is also not currently scheduled to restore its seasonal Dubai service, which ended in April 2026.