Dubai Caps Foreign Airlines to One Daily Flight Through May 31, 2026

Dubai has implemented a new policy capping foreign airlines to one flight per day to its airports through May 31, 2026. Reported by Reuters and confirmed by a note from Dubai Airports, the restriction states that "carriers continue to be limited to one rotation per day, until capacity allows more to be facilitated," with additional slots allocated if available. This policy follows a previous suspension of all foreign airline service due to the Iran conflict and fuel tank disruptions. The cap is viewed as extreme because it does not scale with pre-conflict volume; an airline with one daily flight remains unchanged, while those with dozens (such as Indian carriers) face a ~90% reduction. This has led groups representing Indian airlines to demand the Indian government impose reciprocal restrictions on Dubai-based carriers like Emirates and FlyDubai. The move is widely interpreted as protectionist, favoring local hubs over foreign competitors