The total number of passengers at Dubai International Airport during the first nine months of 2025 reached about 70.1 million, an increase of 2.1% over the same period last year. Passenger traffic in the 12 months ending in September also reached 93.8 million passengers.
Dubai International Airport recorded the highest quarterly passenger traffic in its 65-year history during the third quarter of 2025, welcoming 24.2 million passengers between July and September, a growth of 1.9% compared to last year.
Aircraft movements also continued their strong performance, with the number of flights reaching 115,000 during the third quarter of the year, while Dubai International handled 336,000 flights from January to September, an increase of 2.7% year-on-year. The average number of passengers per aircraft at the end of September was 213.
As Dubai International continues to deliver high operational performance, Dubai Airports is focusing on future development projects aimed at enhancing spaces within all passenger terminals, namely: Concourse B Central (CB Central), a space within Terminal 3 dedicated to the most prominent brands and experiences that distinguish Dubai.
This is followed by Concourse B East (CB East), a lively, family-friendly area that includes a wide range of restaurants and entertainment zones suitable for all ages. Meanwhile, Concourse B West (CB West) represents the new hub of Dubai International, offering upscale shopping experiences and diverse restaurants.
Finally, in Terminal 1, Concourse D Central (CD Central), the space located in the middle of Concourse D, features a panoramic view of the airport, along with a number of lounges and major stores.
As Dubai International approaches its maximum capacity, the Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International Airport project marks the beginning of a new era for the emirate's aviation sector, as it will become the city's main gateway in the early 2030s, in addition to being a smart global aviation hub equipped to keep pace with future developments, while raising standards of operation, sustainability and air connectivity to new levels.
For his part, Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, explained that these record results reflect the strength of Dubai's aviation and tourism sectors, embody the spirit of cooperation and teamwork that distinguishes the oneDXB airport community, and at the same time underline the importance of the next phase and the opportunities it holds for developing the emirate's travel ecosystem.
He added that the vision we are working to achieve for Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International is not limited to increasing capacity, but aims to completely reimagine the travel experience by integrating advanced technology, sustainable practices and the guest experience, helping to shape new features for the future of global travel.
India maintained its position at the top of Dubai International's key markets during the first nine months of the year with 8.8 million passengers, followed by Saudi Arabia with 5.5 million passengers, then the United Kingdom with 4.6 million, Pakistan with 3.2 million and the United States with 2.4 million passengers.
Dubai International also continued to strengthen its position as a major gateway for global tourism, with Malaysia at 687,000 passengers, Vietnam 493,000, the Czech Republic 341,000, Uzbekistan 312,000 and Denmark 239,000 among the top destinations that saw growth in outbound leisure travel.
At the city level, London topped the list with 2.8 million passengers, followed by Riyadh with 2.3 million, then Mumbai with 1.8 million, Jeddah with 1.7 million and New Delhi with 1.6 million.
Dubai International maintained strong performance across all service stages and touchpoints, handling 63.8 million bags during the first nine months of the year, an increase of 6.2% over the same period last year, the highest figure ever recorded for this period.
Some 90% of bags reached passengers within just 45 minutes of the aircraft's arrival, while baggage handling accuracy reached 99.9%, equivalent to only two delayed bags per thousand passengers.
During the third quarter, 99.6% of departing passengers cleared passport control in less than 10 minutes, while 99.8% of arriving passengers completed procedures in less than 15 minutes. Security screening time also remained under 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.
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