Emirates Set to Pull Out of Algeria as Diplomatic Crisis Deepens
A major shift in North African aviation connectivity is now firmly on the horizon. Emirates, the Dubai-based global carrier, has officially confirmed that it intends to cease all flights to Algeria in early 2027, following the Algerian government's formal decision to terminate its bilateral air services agreement with the United Arab Emirates. For African travel professionals routing clients through the Gulf, this development demands immediate attention and forward planning.
The airline has named a specific date for its final departure. Flight EK757, the last scheduled service, is set to depart from Algiers on February 3, 2027. Until that point, however, the carrier has moved swiftly to reassure the market. All existing flights between Dubai and Algiers continue to operate as normal, and booking channels remain fully open. Passengers holding reservations through late 2026 and into early 2027 should not experience disruption in the near term, giving agents and their clients a reasonable window to adjust plans.
The root cause of this withdrawal is not commercial but political. Algeria recently invoked Article 22 of the 2013 UAE-Algeria air services agreement, formally triggering the legal mechanism to dissolve the treaty. This diplomatic instrument sets in motion an official countdown to the withdrawal of traffic rights between the two nations. Unless a replacement framework is negotiated—a prospect that currently appears unlikely—the skies between Algiers and Dubai will effectively close to scheduled commercial operations.
The tensions driving this decision have been building for some time. Algerian officials have publicly accused Abu Dhabi of interference in regional affairs, pointing to sharply divergent positions on conflicts across North Africa and the Sahel region. These geopolitical fractures have now spilled directly into the aviation sector, demonstrating once again how diplomacy and air connectivity are deeply intertwined on the African continent.
From a capacity perspective, the impact is substantial. Emirates currently operates six flights per week between Dubai and Algiers using its wide-body Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Meanwhile, Air Algérie maintains a daily service on the same route with its modern Airbus A330-900neo fleet. Together, the two carriers provide approximately 8,250 two-way seats per week, with Emirates alone accounting for roughly 52 percent of that total capacity. The removal of one carrier from the equation will therefore halve the available direct seat inventory virtually overnight.
Traffic data paints a clear picture of the market at stake. Over the twelve months leading up to June 2025, origin-and-destination passenger numbers between the UAE and Algeria totalled approximately 351,500 two-way travellers. Notably, this figure already reflected a 12 percent year-on-year decline, suggesting that the political chill was dampening demand even before the formal treaty termination was announced. Of those passengers, around 78 percent flew nonstop, underscoring how critical the direct link has been for travellers on this corridor.
The question now facing the market is where displaced passengers will redirect their journeys. Data already identifies Istanbul, Jeddah, and Doha as the leading one-stop connecting points for UAE-Algeria traffic. With Emirates exiting the route, competing carriers and hubs stand to absorb a significant share of this flow. Turkish Airlines via Istanbul and Qatar Airways via Doha are the most obvious beneficiaries, both offering extensive onward connections into the Gulf and beyond. For African agents handling North African bookings, these alternative routings should be reviewed and priced without delay.
The broader implications for the African travel trade deserve careful consideration. Algeria, as one of the continent's largest countries by land area and population, represents a meaningful market for both business and diaspora travel. The loss of Emirates connectivity reduces the country's links to the wider Gulf ecosystem—a network that serves as a critical bridge between Africa and destinations in Asia, Australasia, and the Indian subcontinent. Clients who previously enjoyed seamless one-stop access from Algiers to cities like Bangkok, Mumbai, or Sydney via Dubai will now need to explore alternatives, potentially adding journey time and complexity.
Emirates has stated publicly that it will fully comply with any instructions or directives issued by government authorities on both sides. The airline also pledged to provide timely updates to customers, employees, and partners should circumstances change. This leaves a narrow but real possibility that last-minute negotiations could alter the outcome. However, given the depth of the diplomatic rift, travel professionals would be wise to plan on the assumption that the February 2027 exit will proceed as announced.
For the African travel industry at large, this situation serves as a sobering reminder. Air routes are not permanent fixtures; they exist at the intersection of commercial viability and political goodwill. When one of those pillars collapses, even the most established services can vanish. Agents operating in North and West Africa should take this moment to diversify their routing knowledge and strengthen relationships with multiple carrier partners, ensuring that no single geopolitical event can leave their clients stranded or their business exposed.
