Lufthansa marks 50 years in Dubai: More UAE, Saudi flights, free Starlink WiFi planned

Dubai: Europe’s largest aviation company, Lufthansa Group, is sharply expanding its footprint in the Middle East, with flights to the region up by around 70 per cent in the past four months, as demand from the wider Middle East continues to surge, a senior executive told Gulf News.

The 100-year-old airline, founded on April 6, 1926, as Deutsche Luft Hansa, is also marking its 50th year of operations in Dubai this year. Lufthansa started flying to Dubai on May 3, 1976.

Frank Naeve, Senior Vice President Sales, Distribution & Marketing at Lufthansa Group, said the European aviation giant remains deeply committed to the UAE and the wider Gulf market.

“We are also celebrating 50 years of presence in Dubai this year… and that's obviously a milestone, and also reflects our commitment to this, to the market here in Dubai, but also to the Middle East, to the Middle East as a whole,” said Naeve.

Today, 40,000 people from 122 nations work for the Lufthansa brand, and 100,000 people from over 160 nations are part of the Group.

Lufthansa Group has sharply increased frequencies into the region, driven by strong corporate and leisure demand.

“If you see that the increase in our footprint over the last four months is significant, yes, so we've had a roughly 70 per cent increase in frequencies,” Naeve said.

He added: “That reflects the opportunities that the Lufthansa Group sees in the region, both in terms of corporate demand… but also clearly leisure. Leisure demand, both into the region, but then also out of the region.”

The group now operates around 156 weekly flights into the Middle East, across Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Eurowings and ITA Airways, connecting the region to hubs including Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Vienna and Rome.

Naeve said the Middle East remains one of the most dynamic regions in Lufthansa’s network, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia playing a central role.

“This is a region where travel plays an important role, and it remains extremely dynamic,” he said. “We met with Dubai Tourism, who continue to have extremely strong growth ambitions for Dubai. So that definitely provides a platform to do more.”

Saudi Arabia is also a major focus. “Saudi Arabia is also an equally important [market],” he said. While the airline does not disclose specific passenger targets for the region, Naeve said: “I'm quite confident that when we sit here in 12 months' time, that we will continue to see growth in this region.”

Lufthansa will mark 100 years as a company in 2026 and 50 years of operations in Dubai – a combination Naeve described as particularly meaningful.

“That combination – 100 years as a company and 50 years in the UAE – is very special for us,” he said. “It reflects how long we have been part of this market and how committed we are to its future.”

The airline group is planning activities around both milestones, including in the UAE, although specific details are still being finalised.

Lufthansa Group is in the middle of its largest fleet renewal programme in history, with more than 220 aircraft on order across wide-body and narrow-body types.

“We are in the process of the largest fleet [renewal] in our history,” Naeve said.

The group is expecting around 50 new aircraft in 2026 alone, including Airbus A350s and Boeing 787 Dreamliners, although deliveries remain subject to global supply chain challenges.

“Every new aircraft that comes in replaces an older generation aircraft, which has a strong impact on customer experience, but then also in terms of our sustainability targets,” Naeve said. “The new aircraft have 20 to 25 per cent less CO₂ emissions than the current aircraft that they're replacing.”

Lufthansa is investing heavily in its premium offering and customer experience, from onboard service to lounges and digital upgrades.

“We're investing heavily in our onboard service… but also into all facets of the customer journey. So digital aspects, lounges,” Naeve said.

The airline is also rolling out its new Allegris cabin product, although delivery delays mean it is not yet operating on UAE routes.

“Because of some of the aircraft delays, we were not able to yet provide a concrete date when it will operate into this market, but… we are hopeful that that will be as soon as possible,” he said. Currently, 17 Lufthansa aircraft are operating the Allegris offering.

“As we receive new aircraft deliveries, we expect to have 38 Lufthansa aircraft operating by the end of 2026,” Naeve added.

On regional security issues, including Iran, Naeve said safety remains Lufthansa’s overriding concern.

The airline delayed its plan to resume flights to Iran’s capital amid deadly protests and German government travel warnings. The German flag carrier had been preparing to restore its Frankfurt-Imam Khomeini International Airport service on January 16, 2026, following a roughly six-month suspension, but now says it will not return to the route until January 28, citing safety concerns for passengers and crew.  

The service had been paused in mid-2025. “Safety of passengers, our crews, our employees, is the number one priority,” he said. “That is the preeminent priority that we have.”

Looking ahead, Naeve said the group remains confident about global travel demand, including in the Gulf.

“We are confident that travel will continue to play an important role,” he said. “We are convinced [leisure travel] will continue to grow… and that with that, the Lufthansa Group can continue to play an important role in that overall ecosystem.”

He also pointed to strong demand for premium travel. “We continue to see a strong demand for higher end leisure,” he said. “Premium economy is doing well for us.”