Swiss and Lufthansa push Dubai flight resumption to 25 November over Middle East situation

A second postponement

The Lufthansa Group has again taken Dubai off its flight schedule, only days before the planned return to the route. The decision was announced on Friday, 23 October 2026, and the group cited the current situation and outlook in the Middle East as the reason. Swiss and Lufthansa had planned to restart with the winter timetable on 25 October, while the budget carrier Eurowings had set 1 November. The group now aims to resume the connection on 25 November 2026. Swiss's Zurich departures were originally set for 27 October, and the airline said the postponement was decided jointly with the Lufthansa Group.

Earlier cancellations and the Iran war

Lufthansa Group flights to Dubai were halted in March because of the Iran war. The suspension dates from 28 February 2026, the day Israel and the United States attacked Iran. It was initially meant to last only until 7 March, but the pause was extended again and again. In the meantime the route to Delhi was expanded in place of Dubai. Eurowings had already dropped its planned Dubai routes from Stuttgart and Cologne/Bonn a few days earlier, citing high kerosene costs. With the latest decision, the daily flights from Berlin are also off the schedule for now.

Rebooking and refunds for passengers

Swiss said it will contact affected passengers directly and offer them flexible booking options or a full refund.

The passengers affected will be contacted directly and will be offered flexible booking options or a full refund.

The airline said it regrets the inconvenience and continues to watch the Middle East closely. In the week of 19 October Swiss had still planned to resume flights on 27 October, with a standing caveat that it would keep checking the situation with Swiss and local authorities and in coordination with the Lufthansa Group. The statement does not say whether the Delhi route will keep its current frequency, and a query to Swiss on that point is still pending.

Open questions

The airlines cited the situation and outlook in the Middle East as the reason for the delay, and Swiss says it will keep reassessing the situation on an ongoing basis. The Delhi frequency has not been settled, and the reports give no new start date for Eurowings. The Dubai service has been off since late February, and the restart has now moved well beyond the late October date that was planned only days earlier.