Heading to South Africa for the holidays — or a Durban local trying to get back to Dubai after Christmas? Emirates is putting on extra flights between the two cities over the busiest stretch of the season, giving travellers a handful of new timing options on top of its usual daily service.

The supplementary flights run in two blocks: 18 to 23 December 2026, covering the pre-Christmas getaway, and 2 to 8 January 2027, which catches everyone flying home after New Year. In other words, exactly the dates when the existing daily flight tends to sell out or spike in price.

The schedule is built for both directions. Out of Dubai, flight EK2535 leaves at 4am and lands in Durban at 10.30am local time — an early start, but you get most of your first day on the KwaZulu-Natal coast. Coming back, EK2536 departs Durban at 12.15pm and reaches Dubai at 10.30pm, a tidy same-evening arrival that connects nicely with Emirates' onward network to Asia, Europe and beyond.

All the extra services use a three-class Boeing 777-300ER, so there's a proper cabin spread if you're considering Premium Economy, Business or First. The airline's regular daily flight continues unchanged throughout: EK776 out of Durban at 6.40pm, and EK775 from Dubai at 10.15am, arriving in Durban at 4.45pm. Between the two patterns, you can effectively pick between a morning, midday or evening departure in each direction during those peak weeks.

There's also a small comfort update worth noting if you'll be in the back of the plane: Emirates is rolling out its new U-Dream Headrest for Economy passengers from 2027. It's an adjustable cushioned headrest designed to support your head in different seating positions — the kind of thing that makes a long-haul overnight considerably more bearable. It will appear on selected flights first rather than across the whole fleet, so don't expect it on every route straight away.

Why it matters: December and January are among the priciest, most congested weeks of the year on the Dubai–South Africa route, with huge demand from expat families and holidaymakers. Extra frequency usually means more award seats, more fare brackets and a better chance of snagging a convenient time rather than taking whatever's left. If your dates fall within either of those blocks, it's worth booking early — and comparing the extra flight against the daily service, since the timings differ enough that one will likely suit your connection or hotel check-in far better.