70.1 million passengers at Dubai International Airport in 9 months

Dubai International Airport continued to break records for quarterly passenger traffic in its 65-year history in the third quarter of 2025, as it received 24.2 million passengers between July and September, a growth of 1.9% compared to last year.

This exceptional performance during the third quarter contributed to raising the total number of passengers during the first nine months to 70.1 million passengers, an increase of 2.1% over the same period last year. Passenger traffic during the twelve months ending in September reached a record high of 93.8 million passengers.

Aircraft traffic also continued its strong performance, as the number of flights reached 115,000 flights during the third quarter of the year, while Dubai International Airport handled 336,000 flights during the period from January to September, an increase of 2.7% on an annual basis. The average number of passengers per aircraft at the end of September was 213 passengers.

While Dubai International Airport continues to achieve exceptional operational performance, Dubai Airports’ focus is on future development projects, which aim to improve the spaces within all passenger terminals, namely: Concourse B Central (CB Central), which is a unique space within Terminal 3 dedicated to the most prominent brands and experiences that characterize Dubai. It is followed by Concourse B East (CB East), which is a lively area suitable for families, and includes a wide choice of restaurants and entertainment areas to suit all ages. While Concourse B West (CB West) represents the new hub of Dubai International Airport, providing upscale shopping experiences and various restaurants. Finally, in Terminal 1, Concourse D Central (CD Central), which is the space located in the middle of Concourse D, features a panoramic view of the airport, with a number of rest areas and major stores.

As Dubai International Airport approaches reaching its maximum capacity, the Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International Airport project represents the beginning of a new era for the aviation sector in the emirate, as it will become the main gateway to the city in the early 2030s (2030s), in addition to being a smart global aviation center, equipped to keep pace with future developments, while raising standards of operation, sustainability and air connectivity to new levels.

Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, said: “These record results reflect the strength of the aviation and tourism sectors in Dubai, and embody the spirit of cooperation and teamwork that distinguishes the oneDXB airport community, and at the same time confirm the importance of the next stage and the opportunities it holds for developing the travel system in the emirate, as the vision that we are working to achieve for Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International Airport is not only limited to increasing capacity, but also aims to completely reimagine the travel experience, by integrating advanced technology.” Sustainable practices and guest experience, which contribute to shaping new features of the future of global travel.”

He added, “Dubai International Airport is Dubai’s open message to the world; it embodies its iconic identity, its unique character, and its profound humanitarian spirit. Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International Airport will build on this ancient legacy, to consolidate the same experience, but on a larger and more comprehensive scale, through a model that combines intelligence, operational efficiency, and sustainability.”

As Dubai Airports continues to develop its operations across the oneDXB community and moves forward with the long-term strategic planning for Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International Airport, the focus remains on providing an exceptional guest experience through operational excellence, digital innovation and human-centred hospitality, ensuring that every flight through Dubai airports reflects the spirit of the city and its renewed future ambition.

India maintained its position at the top of Dubai International Airport’s main markets during the first nine months of the year with a number of passengers amounting to 8.8 million passengers, followed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with 5.5 million passengers, then the United Kingdom with 4.6 million passengers, Pakistan with 3.2 million passengers, and the United States with 2.4 million passengers. As for cities, London topped the list with 2.8 million passengers, followed by Riyadh (2.3 million), Mumbai (1.8 million), Jeddah (1.7 million), and New Delhi (1.6 million).

Dubai International Airport also continued to strengthen its position as a major gateway for global tourism, as Malaysia (687,000 passengers), Vietnam (493,000), the Czech Republic (341,000), Uzbekistan (312,000) and Denmark (239,000) were among the most prominent destinations that witnessed growth in leisure travel abroad.

Dubai International Airport maintained a strong performance at all stages and points of service, as it handled 63.8 million bags during the first nine months of the year, an increase of 6.2% over the same period last year, which is the highest number recorded during this period. 90% of the bags reached passengers within just 45 minutes of the plane’s arrival, while the accuracy of baggage handling reached 99.9%, which equates to only two late bags for every thousand passengers.

During the third quarter, 99.6% of departures passed passport control in less than 10 minutes, while 99.8% of arriving passengers completed procedures in less than 15 minutes. The time taken to conduct security inspection remained less than 5 minutes for 99.7% of passengers, reflecting the airport’s focus on operational efficiency and providing a smooth travel experience even at peak times.

This record performance reaffirms Dubai’s position as a global economic hub, in which the aviation sector plays a pivotal role in supporting tourism, trade and investment.