Dubai airport welcomes record 46 million passengers in first half of 2025

Dubai International Airport handled record 46 million passengers between January and June 2025 despite temporary disruptions caused by the Iran-Israel conflict.

According to figures released on Tuesday, the world’s busiest international airport saw a 2.3% increase in traffic compared to the same period last year.

January was the busiest month in the airport’s history, with 8.5 million passengers, setting a new monthly record. Average monthly traffic for the first half of the year stood at 7.7 million, which translates to around 254,000 travellers per day.

The increase came despite the 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel earlier this year, which led to the cancellation of numerous flights across the Middle East and the temporary closure of some airspace by regional governments.

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Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths expressed optimism for the remainder of the year. “Based on our performance to date and a positive outlook, we expect the annual traffic to reach 96 million this year, bringing us closer to the symbolic 100 million milestone,” he said.

In 2024, the airport recorded its highest-ever annual passenger traffic with 92.3 million travellers.

India, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom remained the top countries in terms of passenger traffic to and from Dubai during the period under review.

Dubai has held the title of the world’s busiest international airport for a decade.