DUBAI,— Finland’s national airline, Finnair, announced Tuesday that it is canceling all flights between Helsinki and Dubai for the upcoming winter season, citing the unstable security situation in the Middle East.

The Finnish airline said the suspension will run from October 25, 2026, to March 27, 2027.

In a statement, Finnair said the security situation in the region “has remained unstable, with no clear signs of improvement.” The company said it would reach out directly to travelers affected by the schedule change.

The decision comes six months after the start of the Middle East war, which has left the Strait of Hormuz largely blocked to shipping. No agreement has been reached so far between the United States and Iran.

The conflict began on February 28, 2026, when the U.S. and Israel carried out airstrikes on Iran, killing Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei.

Finnair had already paused its Helsinki-Dubai route once before, from February 28 to March 29, 2026.

The airline’s flights to Doha, Qatar remain suspended as well and will not resume this winter, which Finnair attributed to “commercial reasons.”

(With files from AFP)

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