Emirates ups Southwest Pacific flights, returns to Adelaide

By Andrew Curran.

Emirates is increasing flights to Australia and New Zealand, along with other parts of its network, as it works to normalise operations amid ongoing unrest in the Gulf region.

Services are resuming to Adelaide (ADL), frequencies are increasing to Auckland (AKL), while Sydney (SYD) and Melbourne (MEL) are maintaining double daily services, and Perth (PER) continues to see its daily flight.

However, Emirates’ Southwest Pacific operations remain below the pre-conflict levels seen before the Iran war began in late February.

Emirates resumes Adelaide flights, increases Auckland frequencies

Schedule filings show Emirates will return to Adelaide on May 2, operating thrice-weekly A350-900 round-trips from Dubai (DXB). Prior to the start of the war, the airline operated daily A350 services to the South Australian capital.

Qatar Airways is also resuming its Adelaide flights in May,

Dubai – Auckland (AKL) round-trips will increase from three to four per week from 1 May, operated by an A380-800. Before the disruption, Emirates flew daily to Auckland.

Brisbane (BNE) is currently served by daily A380-800 flights from Dubai. Before the conflict, Emirates operated double daily A380 services on the route.

Through the first half of May, Perth keeps its daily A350-900 flights from Dubai, matching the pre-war frequency and weekly seat capacity.

Sydney and Melbourne get A380 double dailies

Emirates has been consistently operating double daily A380-800 services to Sydney in recent weeks. One flight operates as a direct Dubai – Sydney - Dubai rotation, while the second works the Dubai – Sydney - Christchurch (CHC) – Sydney - Dubai service.

Before the war started, Emirates operated three daily flights to Sydney. Not currently operating is the popular morning departure (EK415), which connected passengers into Dubai at lunchtime and onwards to Europe later on the same (long) day. The late evening arrival (EK414) into Sydney has also been suspended.

Melbourne is also seeing double daily A380-800 services in May, compared with the three daily flights operated prior to the start of the war.

In the first half of February 2026, Emirates operated more than 150 return flights to Australia and New Zealand. In May, this will fall to around one-third of that level. The airline is currently serving more than 100 destinations globally, down from around 150 before the conflict.

However, with the resumption of Adelaide services, Emirates will once again operate to all its Southwest Pacific destinations.

“We continue to monitor the situation, and we will develop our operational schedule accordingly,” the airline said in a travel advisory.

Passenger traffic to Europe re-routing through Asia and China

Australian Government data, which runs through to November 2025, does not yet reflect the impact of the Iranian War. However, last November, Emirates was the sixth-largest international carrier into Australia, with a 4.7% market share and carried more than 174,000 passengers.

In 2025, over half of passengers travelling between Australia and Europe transited through Gulf hubs, flying with Emirates, Qatar Airways, or Etihad.

The temporary closure of Gulf airspace in late February and subsequent reduced services have significantly impacted travellers, many of whom are now routing via Asia.

Commenting on record passenger traffic at Sydney Airport in the first quarter of 2026, CEO Scott Charlton this week said travellers were increasingly flying to Europe via China and other parts of Asia, helping to offset weaker demand through the Middle East.

Photo: Emirates.

Contact the writer: andrew@aerosouthpacific.com