British Airways has resumed direct flights between Heathrow and Dubai, restoring a route that had been suspended for eight months because of the conflict in the Middle East. A daily evening departure from Heathrow began on 3 November, with the return service, BA104/BA105, now running once a day in each direction for the winter season.
The airline grounded its Dubai and Abu Dhabi services at the end of February after missile strikes between the US and Iran escalated tensions across the region. A planned restart on 25 October was postponed before the route finally relaunched this week. Flight-tracking data confirmed a Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner, registration G-ZBLA, departed Heathrow on Tuesday evening and landed in Dubai on Wednesday 4 November, operating the return leg as BA104 the same morning.
British Airways says it plans to double the service to twice daily during the summer 2027 season, which would take the schedule from seven to 14 weekly departures in each direction. The airline's Abu Dhabi route remains suspended and is not due to restart until the winter 2027-28 season, meaning Etihad, which flies from Heathrow and Manchester, stays the only direct UK option to the UAE capital for now.
British Airways is not the only carrier easing back into the Gulf market cautiously. According to Gulf News, Lufthansa, Swiss and Eurowings have pushed their own Dubai resumption back to 25 November, and Austrian Airlines is not due to restart its Vienna-Dubai service until 12 December. Other airlines remain further behind: Singapore Airlines has cancelled its Dubai flights through to 28 February 2027, KLM is not operating to Dubai for the rest of the 2026-27 winter season, and Virgin Atlantic has suspended its own seasonal Dubai service over the same period.
The UK Foreign Office updated its travel advice for the Middle East on 27 October, warning that the regional situation remains "deeply unpredictable" and that British nationals travelling in or through the region should be prepared for possible flight cancellations, airspace closures and further disruption. The advisory covers the UAE along with 15 other countries in the region.
For passengers with existing Dubai bookings via Heathrow, this means a direct BA option is back on the schedule after months of rerouting or cancellation, though seats on the single daily flight may be tight as demand catches up. Anyone flying this winter should keep checking their booking status given the route's history of slipping restart dates, and build in extra time at the airport in case of further changes.
What this means for your journey: if you are flying to or from Dubai this winter, check your booking status directly with British Airways before travelling, and see our guide to Heathrow parking at /parking/ if you are dropping off or collecting passengers on a changed schedule.