DXB traffic recovery strengthens through second quarter

Dubai International Airport’s passenger recovery accelerated through the second quarter, with traffic climbing month by month as airlines restored capacity and international connections began returning after severe disruption to Gulf aviation earlier this year.

DXB handled 13 million passengers between April and June. Monthly volumes increased from 3.5 million in April to 4.5 million in May and 5 million in June, a rise of about 43 per cent between the first and final month of the quarter. The improvement indicates that passenger demand is responding rapidly as flight schedules rebuild.

The quarterly performance took passenger traffic for the first six months of 2026 to 31.5 million, down 31.3 per cent from 46 million during the corresponding period last year. DXB had entered 2026 after handling a record 95.2 million passengers in 2025, its highest annual total and the highest international passenger volume recorded by an airport.

The sharp first-half contraction followed widespread airspace restrictions, flight cancellations and network changes triggered by the regional conflict that erupted at the end of February. Gulf aviation hubs were particularly exposed because of their dependence on connecting traffic between Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas.

Traffic patterns during the second quarter, however, point to a progressive rebuilding of that network. Almost 50 international airlines were serving DXB by the end of June, connecting the airport with 217 destinations across 99 countries. Passenger load factors were also moving closer to their 2025 levels as airlines filled a larger share of the seats they restored to the market.

Dubai Airports chief executive Paul Griffiths said returning capacity was being met immediately by passenger demand. International transfer traffic remains particularly important to DXB because its business model depends heavily on travellers changing aircraft in Dubai rather than beginning or ending their journeys there.

Home carriers Emirates and flydubai have restored the large majority of their capacity, while the pace of recovery among foreign airlines has been more uneven. Some major international operators have maintained reduced schedules or extended suspensions as they assess airspace conditions, insurance considerations and travel advisories. Griffiths expects a fuller schedule to emerge by the end of the third quarter if operating conditions continue to improve.

The disruption has forced Dubai Airports to scale back expectations for 2026 after forecasting early in the year that DXB could handle about 99.5 million passengers. Griffiths now expects traffic to finish the year in the low-70-million range, with the 100-million annual passenger milestone potentially reached during 2027 as airline networks normalise.

Aircraft movements reflected the pressure on airline schedules. DXB recorded 150,600 take-offs and landings during the first half, 32.1 per cent fewer than a year earlier. Second-quarter movements totalled 62,500. Cargo volumes reached 751,340 tonnes during the six months, a decline of 28.7 per cent, including 351,716 tonnes during the second quarter.

Operational indicators remained comparatively strong despite the disruption. DXB processed 30.3 million bags during the first half, with 2.7 mishandled bags per 1,000 passengers, below the global industry benchmark of about 4.9. Nearly 99 per cent of departing passengers cleared passport control within 10 minutes, while more than 99 per cent passed through security in under five minutes.

Dubai Airports is continuing investment at DXB while traffic rebuilds. Planned improvements include expanded self-service facilities, further use of biometric processing, redesigned passenger areas, smarter operational systems and a consolidated remote departures facility intended to improve passenger flow and provide additional flexibility within the airport’s constrained footprint.

The second half will also benefit from Dubai’s winter tourism season, its calendar of exhibitions, sporting events and business conferences, and the gradual easing of travel restrictions in important source markets. The scale of the recovery will depend heavily on how quickly foreign airlines restore frequencies and transfer passengers regain confidence in Gulf routings.