Dubai is off KLM’s list of destinations until March 27, 2027, with the airline also keeping its Saudi routes to Riyadh and Dammam cancelled until November 27.
For travellers, that means no KLM flights to the biggest city in the United Arab Emirates for the entire season. The airline confirmed the changes on Monday in an update.
Why cancel all of winter’s flights at once?
The main reason, a spokesperson explains to NOS, is how unpredictable the situation in the Middle East is at the moment.
Committing to a longer pause also helps in two ways. Passengers get certainty about their plans, and aircraft that had been reserved for these routes are freed up to fly elsewhere.
That’s a change of approach for the Dutch carrier, which has spent most of 2026 shifting its restart date by a few weeks or months at a time.
The resumption of flights has already slid from May 17 to deep into summer and past August, with KLM barely touching Dubai, Riyadh, or Dammam all year because of the fighting.
What’s going on in the Gulf?
Tension in the region rose again last week, amid fears of a new wave of major US and Israeli attacks on Iran, and of how the country would respond.
Saudi Arabia has had its own problems this month too, with Yemen’s Houthis attacking airports in the country.
It’s all part of a conflict that has kept the Persian Gulf on edge since the US and Israel struck Iran in the spring, with Iran now targeting countries in the region with missiles and drones, NOS reports.
Booked a flight? Here are your options
Travellers caught by the cancellations will hear from KLM directly. Your choices are a refund or a rebooking with a different airline, NOS reports.
If Dubai was meant to be your break from the grey Dutch drizzle, you’ll have to find another way to get there.
Was Dubai part of your travel plans for the coming months? Tell us in the comments if you’re switching airlines or picking a new destination altogether!
