Travelers hoping to fly Air Canada to Dubai this winter will have to wait until 2027. The carrier confirmed in its latest travel update that its route to Dubai International Airport will stay suspended until mid-January of next year.
Canada’s flag carrier had originally planned to bring the route back in October as part of its winter timetable. That return has now been postponed, with the airline pointing to a resumption date around the middle of January 2027. Its Tel Aviv service is expected to restart at roughly the same point.
The decision places Air Canada alongside Virgin Atlantic, which earlier this year signaled it would hold off on Dubai operations until its 2027 winter schedule.
Insurance is at the heart of the delays. Dubai Airports chief executive Paul Griffiths has said carriers based outside the UAE are finding it difficult to secure coverage for their operations, a hurdle that has forced a number of international airlines to postpone their return to the emirate.
Not every carrier is staying away, though. British Airways, Cathay Pacific, KLM, Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa are all projected to be flying to Dubai again by the close of October, based on current travel guidance.
DXB itself has shown no sign of slowing down, handling millions of passengers over the summer months. Home-based operators Emirates and flydubai are running their usual schedules from the hub, and Emirates continues its nonstop links to Montreal and Toronto.
Passengers already booked on Air Canada’s Dubai service have been given some room to maneuver. The airline has rolled out a flexible policy letting affected customers rebook for a later date at no extra charge, switch to a different destination without added fees, or cancel outright in exchange for travel credit toward a future Air Canada trip.
