Dubai, May 5, 2026, 01:12 GST
Emirates said it has restored 96% of its global network, putting the Dubai carrier close to a full operational return after weeks of disruption across its long-haul route map. The airline has resumed services across the Americas, Europe, Africa, West Asia, the Gulf, the Far East and Australasia.
The timing matters. UAE air traffic returned to normal after precautionary measures introduced on February 28 were lifted, Reuters reported, giving airlines room to rebuild schedules through Dubai after nearly two months of constrained flying.
Emirates now flies to 137 destinations in 72 countries, with more than 1,300 weekly frequencies — scheduled flight services — equal to about 75% of its pre-disruption capacity. It carried 4.7 million passengers during the disruption period, the state news agency WAM reported.
Dubai Airports is also moving back up. Chief Executive Paul Griffiths said operations and flights were being ramped up as routing capacity returns, and said demand for travel through Dubai “remains strong.” Dubai International and Al Maktoum International handled more than 6 million passengers, over 32,000 aircraft movements and more than 213,000 metric tons of cargo during the disruption, Reuters reported. Reuters
The recovery is not a full reset. Dubai International Airport handled 18.6 million passengers in the first quarter, down from 23.4 million a year earlier, a sign of the hole left by airspace limits even as routes reopen.
Competitors are moving too. Flydubai Chief Executive Ghaith Al Ghaith told Khaleej Times the budget carrier was “actively scaling up operations to meet growing demand,” and said he remained confident in Dubai’s aviation outlook as normal air traffic resumes. Khaleej Times
The earlier disruption hit the wider UAE aviation system, not just Emirates. Reuters reported in March that Emirates, flydubai and Etihad Airways had resumed only a limited number of flights, mainly to repatriate stranded passengers, after regional airspace closures and airport disruption.
Emirates is adding customer sweeteners as flights return, including one free date change, 24-hour fare holds and Dubai Connect stopovers for some passengers with long layovers. Its Skywards loyalty programme is also offering reduced tier requirements and bonus Tier Miles — credits used to reach higher frequent-flyer status — from May 8 to August 31, while Starlink internet is live on 28 aircraft, Aviation24 reported.
But the route back could still be uneven. On Monday, UAE air defences engaged missile and drone threats, inbound flights diverted to Muscat and other aircraft circled over Saudi Arabia, Reuters reported; three people were injured after a drone attack sparked a fire at Fujairah’s oil industry zone.
Authorities later told residents the situation was safe after an earlier phone alert warning of possible missile threats, though the Interior Ministry said people should remain cautious. That is the operating backdrop for airlines trying to put schedules back together.
For passengers, the key gap is capacity. A 96% route restoration does not mean every former seat is back in the market; Emirates is still at about three-quarters of pre-disruption capacity, according to FTNnews.
The next test is whether Emirates can keep adding seats and frequencies without another round of regional disruption. For Dubai, the answer matters beyond one airline: the city’s hub model depends on large, predictable waves of connecting traffic.
