Lufthansa Group delays Dubai return until 25 November

Lufthansa, SWISS and Eurowings have postponed their planned return to Dubai until 25 November 2026, according to AeroTime. The three Lufthansa Group carriers jointly confirmed the delay on 23 October 2026, saying the situation in the Middle East remains too unsettled. Passengers booked on the affected flights are the most directly affected.

What has changed

AeroTime reports that Lufthansa and SWISS had been due to restart Dubai services on 25 October 2026, while Eurowings was scheduled to resume on 1 November 2026. All three have now moved to 25 November. None of the airlines has flown to Dubai since March 2026, per the same report.

The airlines said the decision was taken "in light of the current situation and outlook in the Middle East".

Winter schedule plans

For the 2026/2027 winter schedule, AeroTime says Lufthansa has planned up to five weekly flights to Dubai from both Frankfurt and Munich. SWISS intends to fly daily from Zurich, as does Eurowings from Berlin. Austrian Airlines is scheduled to operate five weekly flights from Vienna from 12 December 2026.

Eurowings will not operate the planned Cologne/Bonn and Stuttgart services to Dubai this winter. At peak, the group would offer up to 28 weekly flights to and from Dubai.

The airlines' position

The Lufthansa Group said it continuously monitors the situation and is in close contact with the relevant authorities. It described the safety of passengers and crew as its top priority and warned that, given the continued volatility, "short-notice adjustments to individual routes may be necessary".

What this means for travellers

• Affected passengers: the airlines say they will contact customers directly and offer flexible rebooking or a full refund.
• New bookings: the 25 November restart is not guaranteed, given the group's own warning about short-notice changes. Anyone booking Dubai flights on these carriers should check the status before travelling.
• Alternatives: travellers needing to reach Dubai or connect onward to the Gulf and Asia may wish to consider other carriers such as Emirates, Etihad or Qatar. The sources do not describe those airlines' schedules, so these should be checked directly.
• Austrian Airlines: its December start date is still listed, but the sources do not say whether it could also change.

It is not yet known what would trigger a further postponement or how long the volatility may last.

For comparisons of the carriers involved, see Lufthansa vs SWISS and Lufthansa vs Eurowings.

Sources: AeroTime