Dubai International Airport greeted a record 46 million passengers in the first half of this year, authorities said Tuesday despite disruptions due to the Iran-Israel war
The facility marked its busiest first half on a record with a growth of 2.3% year to year, Dubai airports said in a statement, “despite temporary regional airspace breaks in May and June”.
During the 12-day Iran-Israel war, airlines canceled flights to many destinations in the Middle East as some governments closed their airspace.
In the first six months of 2025, the average monthly traffic was around 7.7 million passengers or 254,000 daily travelers.
“Based on our performance to date and a positive sight, we expect annual traffic to reach 96 million this year, bringing us closer to the symbolic 100 million milestone,” said Dubai Airport CEO Paul Griffiths.
By 2024, Dubai International Airport registered its highest annual passenger traffic in history, a total of 92.3 million.
“January was the busiest month of the period and also set a new monthly record with 8.5 million guests,” the statement states.
“When we enter the second half of the year, travel activity is expected to speed up,” it added.
The top countries for passenger traffic to and from Dubai were India, Saudi -Arabia and the United Kingdom.
The Emirati City, located between Asia, Europe and Africa, has been ranked as the world’s busiest air hub for international passengers for a decade.
Dubai is planning an expansion and relocation of the airport of $ 35 billion to Al Maktoum International, on the outskirts of the city, in 2032.
The new airport will be scaled up in phases with a possible capacity of approx. 240 million – expected to be the world’s largest with a wide margin.
