A British Airways Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner touched down at Dubai International Airport on Wednesday, 4 November, marking the airline’s return to the United Arab Emirates after more than eight months without scheduled passenger services to the city. Operating flight BA105, the aircraft, registered G-ZBLA, had departed London Heathrow the previous evening before arriving in Dubai on Wednesday morning. It subsequently operated the return service to London as BA104, reopening a route that had remained suspended since late February.
The British flag carrier is initially operating one daily return flight between London Heathrow and Dubai throughout the winter season, with plans to increase the frequency to twice daily during summer 2027. The return restores seven weekly departures in each direction, providing passengers with another direct option between two of the world’s busiest international aviation hubs.
British Airways suspended its Dubai operations at the end of February 2026 following the outbreak of conflict involving Iran and the United States, which led to extensive airspace restrictions and widespread disruption to international aviation across the Middle East. The airline initially expected to resume services considerably earlier, but repeatedly postponed its planned return as regional security concerns persisted. A previously announced restart date of 25 October was ultimately pushed back to 3 November.
For passengers, the resumption restores an important alternative to the extensive Dubai services operated by Emirates, although British Airways’ initial schedule remains more limited than before the disruption. The airline’s decision to reinstate the route comes at a time when several international carriers are still taking a cautious approach to operations in the region.
A Gradual Return to the Middle East
Dubai is not the only destination returning to British Airways’ network. The carrier resumed its London Heathrow–Doha service on 1 September, although at a reduced frequency of one daily flight instead of the previous two. Flights to Tel Aviv restarted on 25 October, while services to Amman, Jordan, resumed on 4 November with four weekly departures.
Other destinations face considerably longer suspensions. British Airways currently plans to restart flights to Riyadh on 11 January 2027, while Bahrain services remain suspended until the end of March. Abu Dhabi, meanwhile, is not expected to return to the airline’s network until the winter 2027/2028 season, despite being located in the same country as Dubai.
The uneven recovery is not limited to British Airways. Singapore Airlines has extended its Dubai suspension until February 2027, while KLM and Air Canada have cancelled services until the end of March 2027. Virgin Atlantic is not planning to return to Dubai until October 2027, illustrating how differently airlines are responding to the continuing uncertainty surrounding operations in the region.
For British Airways, the restoration of Dubai represents a significant step towards rebuilding its Middle Eastern network, but the return to normal operations remains incomplete. With several destinations still unavailable and others operating at reduced frequencies, the airline’s regional schedule is likely to remain considerably different from its pre-conflict network well into 2027.
