KLM and Lufthansa leave Dubai without 16 airlines this winter

At least 16 non-Gulf airlines are still not flying to Dubai, and several have now confirmed they won't be back until late March. The latest move came from KLM, which said on October 26 that it will not operate to Dubai at all during the 2026/27 winter season, which closes on March 27. Two days earlier, the Lufthansa Group pushed its return to November 25, the latest in a string of delays since March. Finnair, United, Air Canada and low-cost carrier Wizz Air sit on the same list, all out until spring. Skift has the full picture.

The problem isn't the airport, which stays busy. The problem is the kind of passenger that's missing. It's the long-haul carriers that filled the city's luxury hotels, and that hole shows up in winter revenue. Some hotel operators told Skift last week they had taken the return of European airlines for granted with the winter schedules in late October, and that expectation was already lifting December bookings. Forward booking data had been heading the other way since September 30. The read is simple: anyone who built the winter budget on an imminent return of KLM or Lufthansa has to redo it with the real dates on the table.

For the destination there's a useful side. With fewer European long-haul seats, pressure on January and February ADR eases and the market reshuffles toward other origins: India, China, the Gulf itself and the connecting traffic of the emirate's big carriers. Hotels working those markets have room to grab share while the Europeans watch from the sidelines. It's also a window to revisit tour operator contracts and rethink the segment mix, because the long-stay guest and the regional corporate traveller don't depend on a direct flight from Amsterdam.

Three things are worth watching in the coming weeks. First, whether Lufthansa holds November 25 or adds another delay, because that would signal the rest of winter closes without them. Second, what Emirates and flydubai do with capacity and frequencies to cover the European gap. Third, how forward bookings move at Dubai's luxury hotels in December and January, which is where the real impact will show. The season isn't lost, it's being played with different cards.