International carriers are tip-toeing back into the United Arab Emirates’ skies after a five-month period of severe regional disruption. According to a Reuters update, Air France became the first major European network airline to relaunch scheduled Paris-Dubai service on 8 July, while Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines have pencilled 1 September for their own Dubai resumptions. British Airways, Lufthansa Group airlines and Japan Airlines are holding off until the northern-winter timetable, citing crew-routing complexities and elevated insurance costs. Behind the mixed picture is a gradual thaw in the security environment following a 17 June US-Iran cease-fire and the re-opening of UAE airspace earlier this month. Yet many carriers are still grappling with higher fuel bills and longer routings: KLM, for example, is flying an extra 45-minute dog-leg around Iranian airspace on its way to the Gulf, while Finnair has pulled Doha completely until October. For UAE-based corporates the patchy restart means travel managers must double-check flight numbers day-by-day. Capacity into Dubai International (DXB) is still about 18 % below the same week in 2025, according to OAG schedules, and last-minute aircraft swaps are common as airlines juggle fleet availability. Practical tip: Push travellers toward carriers that have already resumed daily service (Emirates, Air France, Etihad, Singapore Airlines from September) and build extra connection time into itineraries. Monitor GCAA NOTAMs and airline ops bulletins daily until routings stabilise.
Source: Reuters via MarketScreener
