19 Airlines Suspend and Resume DXB Flights
- On April 29, Time Out Dubai said 19 foreign airlines still had Dubai suspensions or delayed resumptions, even as DXB stayed open on reduced operations. - The key bottleneck is a one-round-trip daily cap for foreign carriers at DXB and DWC through May 31, hitting BA, Air Canada and Lufthansa-group schedules. - That matters because Emirates is only at 65% capacity, so Dubai is open but far from normal for long-haul travelers.
Dubai flights are running again — but not normally. Dubai International Airport is open, Emirates and flydubai are still flying, and passengers can get in and out of the city. But a big chunk of foreign airlines are either still suspended or only planning a slow return, which is why this story keeps surfacing even though the airport itself never fully shut. The actual change this week is clarity: Time Out Dubai pulled together the latest resumption dates for 19 international carriers, and the picture is still pretty messy. (timeoutdubai.com) ### What actually happened? A lot of non-UAE airlines cut or paused Dubai service during the regional crisis earlier this year. That included big names from Europe, Asia, and North America. By April 29, the issue was no longer “is DXB open?” but “which foreign airline is actually back, and when?” — because many still were not. (timeoutdubai.com)limited? The catch is capacity, not just safety. Foreign-based airlines are still restricted to one daily round-trip to Dubai International and Al Maktoum until May 31. That means even carriers willing to fly cannot just snap back to their old schedules. Basically, Dubai is operating with a rationed slot system for foreign airlines while local carriers keep a wider footprint. (timeoutdubai.com) ### Which airlines are still affected? The list is broad. Time Out Dubai’s April 29 roundup names 19 airlines with suspended service or delayed resumptions, including Aegean, Air Astana, airBaltic, Air Canada, Air France, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Cebu Pacific, Finnair, KLM, Korean Air, Lufthansa-group airlines, Pegasus, Royal Air Maroc, Singapore (timeoutdubai.com)gion — it stretches across Europe, Asia, and transatlantic traffic. (timeoutdubai.com) ### How far out do the cancellations go? Some resumptions are close. Air France is suspended through May 10, for example. Others are much farther out. British Airways is cancelled through May 31. Air Canada is cancelled until September 7. Aegean runs to June 29, and airBaltic’s suspension stretches to October 24. So “Dubai flights are back” is true in the broad sense, but false if you mean your old nonstop on your usual airline. (timeoutdubai.com) ### Are any airlines already operating? Yes — and this is where people get confused. Emirates is operating about 65% of usual capacity, flydubai is on a limited schedule, and some foreign airlines like Air India are running selected services. China Southern has also resumed selected China-Dubai routes. So the airport is active. It is just not fully rebuilt as a global hub for every carrier that used to serve it. (timeoutdubai.com) ### Why are European carriers especially slow? Part of the answer is regulatory caution. EASA still has active conflict-zone advisories for parts of the region, and those bulletins shape airline risk decisions, insurance, and route planning. That helps explain why European airlines such as British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France, and KLM have been among the slowest to restore normal Dubai service. (easa.europa.eu) ### What are passengers being offered? Mostly the usual disruption toolkit — free rebooking, travel credit, or refunds. Aegean is offering refunds, vouchers, or free date changes. Air Canada is allowing no-fee rebooking or travel credit. British Airways is offering rebooking, later travel, or full refunds. That softens the blow, but it does not solve the bigger problem if you need a specific nonstop on a specific date. (timeoutdubai.com) ### So what is the real takeaway? Dubai is open. But the version of Dubai as an always-on, frictionless global transfer hub is still only partly back. Until the foreign-carrier cap lifts and more airlines restore schedules, travelers should treat every DXB itinerary as provisional — especially if it depends on a non-UAE airline. (timeoutdubai.com)
