Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad have collectively announced thirteen new long-haul routes between Q3 and Q1 2027.
East Africa and South Asia account for the majority of the additions, with new daily service planned to Mombasa, Dar es Salaam and Hyderabad.
Industry analysts attribute the expansion to sustained passenger growth on Africa-Asia corridors and rising belly-cargo demand from e-commerce shippers.
Slot constraints at Dubai and Doha remain the binding factor on further expansion.