Dubai Airports is entering the winter travel season with one of its most extensive networks to date, as Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC) add new airlines and expand services to match rising seasonal demand.

DXB’s winter schedule continues to be shaped by strong point-to-point travel, with direct traffic now representing 55% of passenger demand. Dubai Airports attributes the seasonal uplift to cooler weather, a busy calendar of business, sports and entertainment events, holiday travel by residents, and the steady inflow of people relocating to Dubai for medium- to long-term stays.

Europe and Central Asia are providing much of the momentum this winter. FlyArystan joined DXB on 29 November with twice-weekly flights from Aktau in Kazakhstan, while Austrian Airlines returned on 2 December with five weekly flights from Vienna.

European carriers are also boosting capacity. Virgin Atlantic has introduced the Airbus A350-1000 on its Dubai route, increasing seat capacity by 52%, and British Airways has reinstated A380 services from London Heathrow—moves that indicate firm demand heading into the festive peak.

DXB is also seeing seasonal strengthening from South Asia and the wider Middle East. Varesh Airline launched twice-weekly flights from Sari, Iran, on 30 October, and Fly Jinnah added twice-weekly services from Lahore on 2 November, supporting the rise in winter travel flows to and from Dubai across key regional hubs.

Saudi Arabia delivers a sharp uplift across both airports

Saudi Arabia is emerging as one of the fastest-growing markets this season. It remains DXB’s second-largest country market, accounting for 7.8% of total passengers year-to-date as of October. Combined traffic from Saudi Arabia across DXB and DWC reached 6.3 million passengers, up 1.3% year-on-year—with DWC posting a notable jump of 459% to 173,000 passengers.

Dubai Airports says DWC is becoming increasingly prominent as airlines use its available capacity to complement operations at DXB. The airport handled 1.1 million passengers in the first 10 months of the year, a 36.6% increase, supported by demand from CIS, GCC and Western European markets. Growth in cargo and aircraft movements is also reinforcing DWC’s strategic push.

Eurowings is among the carriers contributing to that expansion, adding a new daily DXB service from Stuttgart, a three-times-weekly Düsseldorf service at DWC, and higher frequencies to Berlin, Cologne and Hannover. The airline is also operating its Premium Bizclass on the Berlin route.

Robert Whitehouse, Vice President of Research at Dubai Airports, said winter remains a key period for the emirate’s aviation sector, noting that rising direct traffic across both airports reflects a mix of inbound visitors, outbound resident travel, and long-term population growth.

Overall, Dubai Airports says this winter’s schedule upgrades underline airline confidence in Dubai’s travel demand—and reinforce the city’s position as a major global aviation and tourism hub.

Riyadh Air and Saudia have announced the implementation of the first phase of their Strategic Cooperation Agreement, marking a major step in strengthening connectivity under Saudi Arabia’s National Aviation Strategy.

The partnership builds on a Memorandum of Understanding signed in November 2023 and enables the two airlines to expand travel options for domestic and international passengers.

As part of the first phase, Riyadh Air has established a connection with Saudia’s Passenger Service System (PSS), allowing the carriers to implement their codeshare across their respective technology platforms.

Under the RX-SV codeshare, Riyadh Air will place its “RX” designator on selected Saudia-operated flights from Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport to six domestic destinations: Abha, Al Qassim, Dammam, Jeddah, Medina and Tabuk.

The agreement will give Riyadh Air passengers access to additional destinations worldwide through convenient connections in Riyadh. For example, travelers from Dammam can connect via Riyadh to Madrid on a single ticket, while passengers flying from Kuala Lumpur can connect through Riyadh to Medina.

By using Saudia’s frequent services between Riyadh and the six codeshare destinations, Riyadh Air will offer passengers more convenient connections aligned with the arrival and departure schedules of its flights at Riyadh.

Both airlines operate within the King Khalid International Airport Terminal 1-4 complex, enabling passengers to benefit from streamlined connections, single-ticket journeys and through-checked baggage to their final destinations.

The first phase represents a significant step toward deeper cooperation between Saudi Arabia’s two national carriers and supports the Kingdom’s broader ambitions to expand its global aviation network.

Source: aaco.org

SalamAir has announced the establishment of Salalah’s first-ever airline base, marking a major step in the airline’s expansion and strengthening direct international connectivity from Oman’s Dhofar Governorate.

The new Salalah-based operation will initially serve three international destinations: Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Chattogram in Bangladesh and Calicut in India. Bookings opened on August 26, with flights scheduled to begin from the end of October as part of SalamAir’s Winter 2026 schedule.

The base follows SalamAir’s expanded operations during the 2026 Khareef season, when the airline increased capacity on the Muscat-Salalah route to as many as 15 daily flights during peak periods.

The airline also introduced special domestic fares for Omani nationals, with one-way tickets starting from OMR 9.99, supporting affordable travel between Muscat and Salalah.

The new base is expected to extend SalamAir’s role beyond the Khareef season by supporting year-round travel demand among residents and expatriate communities in Dhofar while offering more direct access to key regional and international destinations.

Operations from Salalah will be supported by SalamAir’s Airbus A320neo and A321neo fleet. The airline currently operates 18 aircraft, providing additional flexibility to support growing demand across its network.

During the winter season, SalamAir will also operate charter flights linking Salalah with Astana and Almaty in Kazakhstan, supporting inbound tourism from Central Asia.

The Salalah base forms part of SalamAir’s wider strategy to expand its network from key airports across Oman, develop underserved markets and stimulate new travel demand while supporting the growth of the Sultanate’s aviation and tourism sectors.

Source: ZAWYA