Dubai Airport reclaims world’s busiest international airport title with 95.2 million passengers in 2025

Dhaka: Dubai International Airport (DXB) has reclaimed its status as the world’s busiest airport for international travel, handling a record 95.2 million passengers in 2025, surpassing its previous record of 92.3 million in 2024, said the airport in a release on Friday, February 13.

DXB currently connects to 291 cities across 110 countries through 108 international carriers, underscoring its role as a major global transit hub. Airport officials said passenger numbers are expected to approach 100 million in 2026 and keep rising gradually over the years.

To support this ever-rising passenger growth, Dubai is undertaking a USD 35 billion project to expand the city's other international airport, Dubai World Central (DWC). DWC will feature five parallel runways and around 400 gates to serve up to 260 million annual passengers eventually. Major operations are expected to shift around 2032.

Dubai’s flagship carrier, Emirates, is attributed as the key contributor for this rapid growth. In recent years, the airline adjusted its network as more passengers now start or end journeys in Dubai. Pre-pandemic transit travelers accounted for up to 60% of traffic. Today, over 55% are origin or destination passengers. This shift prompted new routes and increased frequencies.

Second to Emirtaes, Dubai’s tourism sector is another major driver of growth. The city welcomed roughly 19.6 million international overnight visitors in 2025, a 5% increase from the previous year. Attractions such as Burj Khalifa, Palm Jumeirah, beaches, desert safaris, and cultural events, along with easier visas and ongoing investment in services fuels visitor demand.

Officials said aviation and tourism remain key pillars of Dubai’s economy, supporting GDP and employment, and reinforcing the need for ambitious airport expansion and connectivity strategies.