For the 12th year in a row, Dubai International is the largest aviation hub in the world

Dubai International Airport maintained its position as the largest airport in the world during the year 2025, in terms of the number of international passengers, for the 12th year in a row, after it continued over the past year to record strong growth rates in international travel traffic in the list of the largest airports in the world, according to the annual report of the International Airports Council.

Dubai International Airport received 95.2 million passengers during 2025, a growth of 3.1%, compared to the previous year, making it the busiest year in the airport’s history.

The Airports Council International report indicated the strong and significant performance of Dubai International Airport during the year 2025, compared to the levels of 2019 before the “Corona” pandemic, indicating that the growth rate in passenger traffic at “Dubai International” during the past year reached 10.2%, compared to the levels of 2019.

Airport arrangement

The annual report, which monitors the performance of the largest airports around the world, showed that Dubai International Airport ranked first in terms of the number of international passengers, with a large difference of about 15.5 million passengers, compared to its counterpart, “London Heathrow,” which came second, after the British airport handled 79.8 million passengers in 2025, followed by the South Korean “Incheon” Airport with about 73.5 million passengers.

Singapore International Airport came in fourth place with 69.4 million passengers, and Amsterdam Dutch Airport with 67.8 million passengers.

“International and local” travelers

In the index of total passenger traffic (international and domestic), Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport maintained its lead, recording 106 million passengers, followed by Dubai International Airport, which continued to narrow the gap to its advantage, as it recorded a growth of 3.1%, compared to a decline of 1.6% for its American counterpart.

Tokyo Airport came in third place, recording 91.6 million passengers, followed by “Dallas-Fort Worth” and “Shanghai Airport” in fourth and fifth places with about 85.6 and 84.9 million passengers each.

Director General of the World Airports Council International, Justin Erbachi, said: “We congratulate the world’s busiest airports for managing the increasing demand for air travel, amid increasing operational complexities.”

He added: “These vital centers keep people and goods in continuous movement, and support global trade, tourism, and economic growth in their communities and regions. To keep pace with the rising demand, governments must prioritize sustainable investment in airports and the aviation ecosystem in general.”

First place

Globally, the International Airports Council revealed that the number of “international passengers” in 2025 reached about four billion passengers, an increase of 5.9% compared to 2024, and an increase of 8.3% compared to 2019, while the 10 largest airports in terms of international passenger traffic represent about 17% of the total number, stressing that Dubai International Airport maintained first place on the list.

It is noteworthy that Dubai International Airport displaced its counterpart, London Heathrow, from first place in the number of international passengers during the year 2014, for the first time in history, after the British airport maintained the lead since the beginning of commercial air transport activity in the world.

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9.8 billion global travelers

The International Airports Council stated that the total number of global passengers (international and domestic) in 2025 is estimated at 9.8 billion passengers, an increase of 3.6%, compared to 2024, or an increase of 7.3%, compared to the results of 2019.

He added: “The top 10 airports in terms of passenger traffic represent about 9% of the total global passenger traffic,” pointing out that the list of the top 10 includes four airports in the United States, which reflects the strength of the market there, where the percentage of local passengers ranges between 80 and 95%.