British Airways resumes Dubai flights after eight-month suspension over Iran conflict
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British Airways is resuming flights between London Heathrow and Dubai today (3 November), ending an eight-month suspension brought on by the outbreak of the Iran conflict in February.
According to Travel Weekly, the airline will operate the route using Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner aircraft, with one-way economy fares starting at £340.
Flights are scheduled to depart Heathrow at 20:00 and arrive in Dubai at 07:45 the following morning. The return service will leave Dubai at 10:00 and arrive in London at 14:55.
The first return flight BA105 is scheduled to depart London Heathrow for Dubai tonight at 20:05 GMT.
For now, the airline is restoring one daily service between Heathrow and Dubai International Airport (DXB). It plans to increase frequencies to twice daily during summer 2027.
The return marks a significant step in restoring British Airways’ Middle East network, although several other destinations remain suspended amid ongoing regional security concerns.
Why did British Airways suspend Dubai flights?
British Airways suspended its Dubai services along with services to other Middle East destinations following the outbreak of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran on 28 February 2026.
Military operations, retaliatory attacks and airspace restrictions caused widespread disruption across the Gulf, forcing international airlines to cancel flights or reroute aircraft.
In its operational updates, British Airways confirmed on 3 March that it could not operate services from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha, Bahrain, Amman and Tel Aviv. The airline extended those suspensions as the conflict continued.
On 16 March, BA cited continuing uncertainty and instability in regional airspace when announcing further reductions to its Middle East schedule.
During the disruption, the airline operated eight relief flights from Muscat, Oman, to help stranded passengers return to the UK. It also added flights between London and Singapore and Bangkok to accommodate affected travellers.
The Dubai suspension was repeatedly extended. Services were expected to resume on 1 July, but the airline postponed the restart to 25 October. At the time, The National reported that the suspension was continuing despite a pause in active hostilities between Iran and the United States.
Other British Airways Middle East routes remain suspended for now
Although Dubai services are returning, British Airways has not yet restored its full regional network.
According to TTG‘s 30 October update, Dubai flight resumptions will be followed by four weekly Amman services from 4 November. Riyadh services are scheduled to restart daily on 11 January 2027. Bahrain remains suspended until late March 2027 and Abu Dhabi until winter 2027–28.
British Airways’ return to Dubai is a positive sign for the embattled region, but international airlines will continue to assess operational risks before restarting their services.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) continues to warn of risks to civil aviation in the Persian Gulf.
Under its latest conflict-zone guidance, revised on 30 September, airlines are advised to avoid airspace over Gulf waters within the UAE’s Emirates Flight Information Region, except where necessary for airport arrivals and departures.
EASA says these operations may proceed with appropriate risk mitigation and continuous monitoring. The agency continues to warn of missile and drone activity, air-defence operations and the possibility of rapid military escalation. The current guidance remains valid until 16 November.
