Dubai airport reaches 1.5 billion passenger milestone

Dubai International Airport has handled 1.5 billion passengers since opening in 1960, marking a new milestone as the city prepares to shift its aviation growth to the much larger Al Maktoum International Airport.

The cumulative figure was disclosed during a Government of Dubai Media Office briefing with Dubai Airports chief executive Paul Griffiths, who said DXB’s rebound in passenger traffic was gathering pace while long-term expansion plans for the emirate’s aviation system remained on track.

DXB handled 31.5 million passengers in the first half of 2026, after disruption to regional aviation sharply reduced traffic earlier in the year. Monthly passenger volumes rose from 5 million in June to 6.3 million in July, a 26 per cent increase, according to figures presented at the briefing.

Dubai Airports now expects DXB to handle about 70 million passengers in 2026. Griffiths said annual traffic could reach 100 million by the end of 2027 as airline capacity and demand recover. Airline capacity has returned to about 84 per cent of earlier levels, while passenger volumes have recovered to roughly 78 per cent.

The 2026 forecast is below Dubai Airports’ earlier expectation of nearly 100 million passengers after the Iran war and temporary Gulf airspace closures disrupted operations. Griffiths said the airport’s traffic and capacity had nevertheless recovered strongly, with more airlines expected to restore services. He also said India, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom remained DXB’s leading passenger markets, while new-generation longer-range narrow-body aircraft could support additional direct routes. Dubai is currently connected by air to about 240 cities, with further destinations expected as networks rebuild.

Several carriers that suspended or reduced services are expected to return for the winter season, supporting the projected recovery. Griffiths said demand remained healthy across both transfer traffic and passengers travelling directly to Dubai, with the two segments broadly balanced.

The 1.5 billion passenger tally spans more than six decades of operations at DXB, which opened on September 30, 1960, with a compacted sand runway and a small terminal capable of handling aircraft up to the size of a DC-3. The airport has since developed into one of the world’s largest international aviation hubs.

Dubai’s ability to keep expanding at DXB is, however, approaching physical limits. Griffiths put the airport’s maximum annual capacity at about 115 million passengers, strengthening the case for the phased transfer of operations to Al Maktoum International, also known as Dubai World Central.

The first major phase of DWC is expected to provide capacity for 150 million passengers a year and is scheduled to come on stream in the early 2030s. The airport is ultimately planned to handle as many as 260 million passengers annually, with five runways, two passenger terminals and seven concourses connected to more than 430 aircraft stands.

The next major infrastructure milestone is expected by the end of 2027, when DWC’s second runway is due to open. Griffiths said the airport would be developed around eight passenger-processing nodes, each designed for approximately 32 million travellers, allowing capacity to be added in stages.

Dubai’s government said in June that the first phase of the DWC development remained on schedule for operations to begin in 2032. Contracts worth Dh13 billion were already under execution, while preparations were under way to award strategic packages worth more than Dh55 billion.

The broader development also includes terminal foundations, runway infrastructure, baggage systems, an automated people mover and supporting utilities. The final master plan envisages capacity for 12 million tonnes of air cargo a year alongside the passenger operation.

Griffiths said the shift from DXB to DWC would be gradual rather than immediate. Flydubai could move a small number of aircraft as early as next year, while the broader transfer would occur as new capacity becomes available. Operations at DXB would ultimately move once DWC’s initial large-scale passenger capacity is ready.