DUBAI— Emirates Airline (EK) has confirmed it will reduce its Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Perth Airport (PER) service from twice-daily to a single daily frequency. The adjustment, effective from October 25, 2025, comes after 23 years of continuous operations in Perth.
The decision follows Emirates’ periodic operational review to optimize fleet utilization. The remaining service will continue with the Airbus A380, maintaining premium cabin options for passengers traveling between Perth and Dubai.
Photo: Clément AlloingEmirates Suspends One Daily Flight to Perth
Emirates’ decision to suspend one of its daily flights to Perth aligns with the airline’s broader strategy to optimize aircraft deployment globally.
The twice-daily service, reinstated in December 2024 under the Western Australian Government’s Aviation Recovery Fund, will revert to a single daily A380 flight for the upcoming northern winter season.
The withdrawn service operated with a Boeing 777-300ER, which will now be reallocated to other routes. This adjustment frees up 1.5 aircraft, allowing Emirates to enhance its network where demand is stronger, Simple Flying reported.
The airline has not specified the direct reason for the reduction, though contributing factors may include the expiration of local incentives and increased competition from airlines like Virgin Australia (VA) and Qatar Airways (QR) on Perth routes.
The updated daily schedule from October 25 will feature:
- EK420: DXB 02:45 – PER 17:20
- EK421: PER 22:20 – DXB 05:25+1
These timings allow convenient connections to and from Europe via Dubai, leveraging Emirates’ peak arrival and departure banks.
Photo: Cado PhotoPassenger Trends and Market Impact
Over the 12 months leading to May 2025, more than 320,000 round-trip passengers flew between Perth and Dubai with onward connections, with Europe being the primary market.
Nearly 70% of Perth passengers connected to European destinations, including top airports like London Heathrow (LHR), Manchester (MAN), and Dublin (DUB).
Additionally, 10% of passengers traveled between Perth and Africa, especially South Africa.
The reintroduction of direct services by South African Airways (SA) and Qantas’ (QF) planned return to the Perth-South Africa route in December 2025 has eroded Emirates’ share of this market segment.
The scaling down of services may slightly reduce Emirates’ market competitiveness in Perth, but it aligns with the airline’s performance optimization strategy across its global network.
Photo: By byeangel from Tsingtao, China – A6-EDR | Emirates | Airbus A380-861 | ICN, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40388040Emirates’ Broader Australian Network
During the northern winter, Emirates’ Australian network will consist of five routes totaling 10 daily services from Dubai:
- Adelaide (ADL): Daily, with Airbus A350-900 from December 1
- Brisbane (BNE): Twice daily, both A380
- Melbourne (MEL): Three times daily, A380 and 777-300ER
- Perth (PER): Daily A380
- Sydney (SYD): Thrice daily A380, with one continuing to Christchurch (CHC)
Notably, the A350-900 introduction to Adelaide brings premium economy to all Emirates’ Australian flights, offering a consistent product experience across the region.
While Emirates will operate 10 daily Australian flights, it faces strong competition from Qatar Airways (QR) and Virgin Australia (VA), which collectively offer up to 10 daily flights from Doha (DOH) to six Australian cities. Singapore Airlines (SQ), with up to 21 daily services across seven cities, remains a dominant regional player.
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