Dubai’s Emirates airline cuts June flights by 14%

Emirates has cut its June 2026 flight schedule by 14%, removing nearly 500,000 seats from the market, according to data from aviation analytics company Cirium, as the airline continues rebuilding operations following disruption caused by the Iran war.

The Dubai-based carrier will operate around 200 daily departures in June, down from 237 during the same month last year. The airline has reduced frequencies on several international routes, including London Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted in the UK, as well as Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Vienna in Austria, Beijing in China and Brisbane in Australia.

An Emirates spokesperson said year-on-year comparisons do not fully reflect the carrier’s current operating environment or the pace at which services have been restored.

Emirates currently serves 138 destinations, four fewer than before the conflict, and is operating at approximately 80% of pre-war departure levels from its Dubai hub. The airline plans to add further capacity by mid-June, the spokesperson added.

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The adjustments come weeks after Emirates Group reported its strongest-ever annual results for the financial year ended 31 March 2026. The group posted profit before tax of AED24.4 billion (US$6.6 billion), while Emirates recorded the aviation industry’s highest reported airline profit of AED22.8 billion (US$6.2 billion).

Several international airlines continue to adjust operations in response to the ongoing disruptions. Swiss International Air Lines has extended the suspension of flights to Dubai, while KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Cathay Pacific are also maintaining cancellations on selected Gulf routes.

The wider regional aviation market continues to feel the impact of the conflict. Middle East airlines recorded a 48% decline in passenger demand in April compared with the same month in 2025, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), while capacity fell 38% year-on-year.

Airlines are also facing higher operating costs. According to Bloomberg data, jet fuel prices rose from around US$831 per tonne before the war to a peak of US$1,838 in early April 2026 before easing to approximately US$1,560. EasyJet reported around US$25 million in additional fuel costs during March 2026.

For more information, visit www.emirates.com