Routes / LHR–DXB
5,498 km great circle · Over 3,500 km
London LHR to Dubai DXB delay compensation
London Heathrow Airport to Dubai International Airport is 5,498 km by great circle, United Kingdom to United Arab Emirates. Under UK261 that is £520 per passenger when you arrive 3+ hours late.
- 1London LHR
- 2Dubai DXB
- 3Great circle 5,498 km
- 4UK261 band £520
Which rules cover LHR–DXB
London → Dubai
Whatever the airline, this direction is covered by UK261 (the flight departs from the UK (Article 3(1)(a)), whatever the airline).
Dubai → London
No rule covers this direction for every airline. On an EU airline or a UK airline it is also under UK261.
What you could be owed by hours late
Arrival delay at DXB (or LHR on the return), for a delay caused by the airline, per passenger, where each rule applies:
| Hours late | UK261 |
|---|---|
| 2 hours | £0 |
| 3 h 30 min | £260 |
| 4 h 30 min | £520 |
| 6 h 30 min | £520 |
| 9 h 30 min | £520 |
At 5,498 km this is a long-haul flight, so the first hour of compensation is reduced: arriving 3 to 4 hours late pays £260, and the full £520 starts at 4 hours.
The distance and the band
EU261 and UK261 measure distance "by the great circle route method" between the departure airport and the final destination. From the published coordinates of London Heathrow Airport (51.470748, -0.459909) and Dubai International Airport (25.24979, 55.370992) that is 5,498 km. The nearest band boundary is 3,500 km, 1,998 km below this route, so the band is not in doubt. Among the 18 routes on this site in the over 3,500 km band, it is number 13 by length.
Other routes from London Heathrow Airport (EGLL) on this site: New York (5,540 km), Los Angeles (8,760 km), Toronto (5,707 km), Boston (5,240 km), Dublin (449 km), Paris (347 km), Frankfurt (654 km), Amsterdam (370 km), Athens (2,427 km), Helsinki (1,848 km), Edinburgh (534 km), Glasgow (555 km).
Other routes from Dubai International Airport (OMDB) on this site: Amsterdam (5,169 km).
If LHR–DXB is only one leg of your booking, measure to the final destination instead: a connection that makes you late at the end is compensated over the whole journey's distance.
Help at the airport while you wait
On a flight of this length, meals and refreshments are owed once the departure is 4 hours late under UK261, and a hotel with transport if you have to stay overnight — whatever caused the delay. Keep receipts for anything you buy: it is claimed back separately from any compensation.
Claiming on this route
Claim from the operating airline directly — it costs nothing.
UK261: If the airline's final answer is unsatisfactory, or it has not answered within eight weeks, go to the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) body the airline belongs to, or to the CAA's Passenger Advice and Complaints Team if it belongs to none.
Claim pages of airlines based in United Kingdom or United Arab Emirates (whether they fly this exact route varies by season):
- British Airways: Flight cancellation compensation (British Airways)
- easyJet: Delays and cancellations (easyJet)
- Virgin Atlantic: Claims for flight disruption (Virgin Atlantic)
- Jet2: Flight delay and cancellation claims (Jet2)
Airport coordinates: OurAirports country file (GB); OurAirports country file (AE). Rules: UK Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Article 7 (legislation.gov.uk). Checked 2026-10-20. General information, not legal advice.