The restart of Gatwick services on Friday (10 December) comes after Emirates returned to Newcastle and the carrier has also resumed A380 superjumbo flights from Manchester.

Emirates’ Gatwick service will operate daily using an A380 and takes the airline’s weekly UK flights up to 84. A second daily Gatwick flight is due to start from 27 January.

The carrier has already restarted flights to Dubai from Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Newcastle airports.

Richard Jewsbury, divisional vice president at Emirates UK, said: “We have continued to see demand for international travel, particularly from the south-east, and are pleased to resuming operations from Gatwick.

“Emirates is fully committed to the UK and we have operated flights from the airport for over 30 years, providing vital connectivity to Dubai and beyond for passengers travelling for business, leisure or to visit friends and family.”

This month will also see Emirates reopen lounges at UK airports including Birmingham and Manchester, with the lounges at Gatwick and Glasgow due to open again in January.

Stephanie Wear, Gatwick’s vice president of aviation development, added: “We are delighted to welcome Emirates and the magnificent A380 aircraft back to Gatwick.

“Their daily flights to Dubai will open up a fantastic range of destinations in Asia, Africa and beyond to passengers across the south-east.”