More cities, more flights, more connections: UAE carriers are expanding worldwide

Abu Dhabi: The UAE's airlines are significantly expanding their global footprint in 2026, adding new international destinations, increasing flight frequencies on high-demand routes and deepening commercial partnerships that allow passengers to reach hundreds of cities beyond their own networks. 

The latest wave of expansion strengthens the country's position as one of the world's leading aviation hubs while supporting growing demand from residents, tourists and international transit travellers.

The expansion is being driven by Emirates, Etihad Airways, flydubai and Air Arabia, each pursuing a different growth strategy ranging from long-haul services and underserved markets to low-cost travel and wider codeshare connectivity, according to 24.ae newsportal. 

Emirates, which currently serves around 140 destinations across six continents, is set to launch a daily service between Dubai and Helsinki on October 1, creating the only year-round direct air link between the UAE and Finland. 

The airline has also boosted capacity on existing routes, introducing a second daily service to Copenhagen and additional daily flights to Phuket and Cape Town to meet rising passenger demand.

Etihad Airways has accelerated its international expansion from Abu Dhabi by adding Krakow, Palma de Mallorca, Damascus and Zanzibar to its network, while restoring seasonal services to Mykonos, Malaga, Santorini, Nice and El Alamein. 

The carrier has also announced plans to launch services to six African destinations, Accra, Asmara, Harare, Kinshasa, Lagos and Brazzaville, while increasing summer capacity by 10 per cent compared with last year.

Flydubai has continued to focus on connecting underserved markets with Dubai. The airline, which now operates to more than 120 destinations in 58 countries, launched flights to Benghazi in June before adding Bangkok in July and increasing the route to twice-daily service within weeks. 

It has also resumed flights to Aleppo and will begin daily operations to Pokhara in Nepal later this year. Since its launch, flydubai says it has opened more than 100 routes that previously had no direct air links with Dubai or were not served by a UAE national carrier.

Air Arabia has also expanded its European and regional network. The Sharjah-based carrier launched twice-daily flights to London Gatwick and introduced services to Rome Fiumicino, while resuming direct flights to Aleppo. 

Air Arabia Abu Dhabi has added Aleppo and Amman Civil Airport to its network and increased services to Damascus, further strengthening connectivity between the UAE and the Levant.

The expansion extends beyond new routes. UAE carriers continue to broaden passengers' travel options through extensive partnership networks that connect travellers to destinations well beyond those served by their own aircraft.

By the end of March 2026, Emirates had 32 codeshare partners and 117 interline partners, giving customers access to more than 1,700 destinations worldwide. 

Its partnership with flydubai alone enables seamless travel to more than 240 destinations across over 100 countries, with through check-in and baggage transfers on eligible itineraries.

Etihad has also expanded its commercial network through new agreements, including a codeshare partnership with Uzbekistan Airways and a recently announced interline deal with Air Peace, giving passengers access to 20 additional destinations across Nigeria and West and Central Africa via Lagos and Accra.

Overall, Etihad's partnership network now spans 46 codeshare airlines and more than 130 interline partners, providing access to over 350 destinations globally.

Home to more than 200 nationalities, the UAE generates year-round demand for travel to a diverse range of destinations, while its airlines continue to reinforce the UAE's role as one of the world's most connected aviation and transit centres.