World
The Dubai-Istanbul Route, Once Rammed With Flights, Stays Silent
- Path still halted between the two cities amid animosities
- Flight path let Turkish Air build clout in long-haul business
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For years, passenger jets have darted back and forth between Istanbul and Dubai, the two main hubs connecting airline passengers in the Middle East with destinations across the globe.
But when Turkish Airlines and Emirates began reviving their pandemic-depleted schedules a few weeks ago, that particular route remained closed except for a few scattered cargo operations. Emirates announced in June that the Istanbul flights would resume, but so far hasn’t followed through on that plan. For now, it doesn’t sell tickets to Turkey before Dec. 1, while Turkish Airlines posts the flights on its website -- but then cancels bookings a few days prior to the travel date.