Emirates says it is operating at around 93% of its pre-disruption capacity, as winter bookings strengthen following a turbulent year for airlines flying through the Middle East.
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The Dubai-based airline carried more than 8.6 million passengers in July and August. It said summer demand “exceeded expectations”, with momentum “continuing to build” as the winter travel period approaches.
Bookings for the winter season, which begins in late October, are “tracking positively”, Emirates said, despite passengers “making travel decisions closer to departure”. Demand from markets including South Africa, Brazil, India, Portugal and Saudi Arabia is currently ahead of last year, according to the airline.
Emirates is responding by expanding its network and adding capacity. Alongside a new daily route to Helsinki, which launched last week, it plans second daily services to Accra, Tokyo Narita, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. It will also deploy the Airbus A350 to Larnaca, Malta, Nairobi and Hamburg from late October, followed by Mauritius in November.
On 1 November, the A350 will make its debut on scheduled US services, replacing the Boeing 777 on Emirates’ existing daily Orlando route.
Daily flights launched to Helsinki
Emirates touched down in Helsinki for the first time on 2 October, establishing a daily, year-round connection between Dubai and the Finnish capital. It joins Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm on the airline’s Nordic network.
Operated using an A350, the daily EK167 flight departs Dubai at 8:15 am local time and arrives in Helsinki at 2:30 pm. The return flight, EK168, leaves Helsinki at 4:20 pm and lands in Dubai at 12:20 am the following day.
The launch also maintains a direct Dubai-Helsinki option during the coming winter. Finnair has cancelled its flights between the cities from 25 October 2026 to 27 March 2027, citing the unstable situation in the Middle East. Emirates announced its Helsinki service in January, before Finnair confirmed the suspension in August.
“Helsinki is an exciting addition to our global network, connecting Finland with Dubai and our extensive network beyond, year-round,” said Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, following the inaugural flight.
"As a gateway to Finland, Helsinki offers travellers a unique blend of vibrant culture, beautiful nature and an abundance of opportunities for business and trade, while also serving as a key connector for travellers to explore more of Finland."
Demand grows for winter travel
The new Dubai-Helsinki route gives passengers another way to visit the Finnish capital and travel onwards to Lapland. It also comes amid growing interest among UAE travellers in winter holidays, according to dnata, which is part of the Emirates Group.
Speaking to Euronews Travel at Arabian Travel Market in September, dnata Group CEO Nabil Sultan Al Murr said demand for winter travel was growing.
“People going out for skiing, which was never the trend almost four to five years ago, is becoming such a huge trend,” he said.
Responding to that interest, dnata recently launched a winter programme featuring around 10 ski destinations. The company is also looking beyond conventional ski holidays towards other winter experiences such as seeing the Northern Lights.
“These are all new kinds of features and experiences that we're trying to bring to the traveller and actually meet their emerging demand that we continue to see,” he said.