Dubai International is open and busy. Getting there on the airline you booked is another story. Eight months after the Iran war began, several big Western and Asian carriers still have Dubai off their maps, and one of them pulled back again today.
On Oct. 23, the Lufthansa Group pushed its Dubai return to Nov. 25, citing "the current situation and outlook in the Middle East." That is the newest change in a list that keeps moving. Here is where each airline stands, taken from its own travel notice.
What changed this week
The trigger is not in Dubai. It is next door in Saudi Arabia. On the night of Oct. 21, a Houthi attack hit King Fahd International Airport in Dammam. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attack the next day and said two people were killed and several civilians were hurt. Riyadh's main airport had already been shut by strikes earlier in the month.
Dubai itself has not closed. But airlines plan whole regions at once, and they also weigh insurance and airspace limits. When Saudi Arabia flares up, Dubai returns slip too.
The U.S. State Department keeps the UAE at Level 3, Reconsider Travel, citing terrorism and armed conflict. That level was set on Aug. 29. On Oct. 18 the U.S. Mission in the UAE told Americans in the region to stay alert and be ready for flight cancellations and airspace closures.
Who is not flying to Dubai, and until when
| Airline | Dubai status | Source date |
|---|---|---|
| Lufthansa, SWISS, Eurowings | Resume Nov. 25 | Oct. 23 |
| Austrian Airlines | Starts Dec. 12 | Oct. 23 |
| KLM | Paused through Oct. 24 | Oct. 23 |
| Singapore Airlines | Canceled until Dec. 1 | Oct. 1 |
| Cathay Pacific | Canceled through Jan. 31, 2027 | Sept. 28 |
| Air Canada | Canceled until end of March 2027 | Sept. 24 |
Lufthansa Group. Lufthansa and SWISS had planned to restart in late October, and Eurowings on Nov. 1. All now point to Nov. 25, says the group's update. Eurowings dropped its planned Cologne/Bonn and Stuttgart flights for the winter. SWISS says its daily Zurich flight, due Oct. 27, now waits until Nov. 25 as well. We covered the details in our Lufthansa Dubai story.
KLM. Its travel alerts page, updated Oct. 23, says Dubai flights are paused up to and including Oct. 24. KLM does not give a restart date. It also says it is not flying over several Gulf countries. Treat Oct. 25 and later bookings as unconfirmed until your trip shows an operating flight.
Singapore Airlines. SQ494 and SQ495 are canceled until Dec. 1, and affected customers can get a full refund of the unused ticket.
Cathay Pacific. Dubai and Riyadh passenger flights are canceled through Jan. 31, 2027, with rebooking, rerouting or refunds offered.
Air Canada. Dubai flights stay canceled until the end of March 2027, per its Sept. 24 update.
Emirates and the Dubai hub
Emirates is flying its long-haul network from Dubai. Its travel updates page shows one regional cut: its codeshare on flydubai flights to Tel Aviv has been suspended since Oct. 5, until further notice. Saudi routes are the shakiest part of the map right now, so check your flight status before you go to the airport if Riyadh or Dammam is on your ticket.
Dubai Airports says DXB handled 31.5 million guests in the first half of 2026, down 31.3% from a year earlier. Traffic climbed each month of the second quarter, from 3.5 million in April to 5 million in June. By the end of June, almost 50 international airlines served the airport.
What to do if you are booked
If your airline canceled. Each airline above offers a refund. Most also offer free rebooking. KLM lets tickets issued on or before Oct. 23 move to a new date up to Feb. 28, 2027, or take a voucher or refund. Ask for cash if you want cash. A voucher is optional.
If you bought through an agency. Singapore Airlines and KLM both tell travelers to go back to the travel agent or the airline that sold the ticket.
If Dubai is only a connection. Emirates is the most direct way through DXB right now. Leave extra time if your second flight touches Saudi Arabia.
If you are waiting at DXB. Our Dubai airport page lists the lounges by terminal, with hours and access rules.
For refund rules by country, see our Middle East disruptions guide. Dates in this story come from each airline's notice as of Oct. 23 and may change again.
