Dubai Airport Hits Record 24.2M Passengers in Q3 2025

Dubai International Airport (DXB) has set a new benchmark in its 65-year history, handling 24.2 million passengers in the third quarter of 2025, marking a 1.9% year-on-year rise. This surge pushes total traffic for the first nine months to 70.1 million passengers, up 2.1% compared to the same period last year, while the airport’s 12-month rolling traffic reached 93.8 million guests by September.

Aircraft movements also remained robust. DXB recorded 115,000 flights in Q3, with 336,000 flights handled across all categories in the first nine months—an increase of 2.7% year-on-year. The average passengers per aircraft reached 213, reflecting strong operational efficiency.

Enhancing Passenger Experience

Dubai Airports is actively upgrading terminals to meet growing demand. New spaces include:

• CB Central (Terminal 3): Showcasing Dubai’s top brands and experiences.

• CB East: Family-friendly dining and entertainment areas.

• CB West: Premium shopping and casual dining hub.

• CD Central (Concourse D, Terminal 1): Panoramic airfield views, modern dwell areas, and seamless access to retail.

Looking ahead, the airport is also preparing Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC) to become the main gateway in the early 2030s, designed as a smart, future-ready global aviation hub.

Key Markets and Destinations

India remained DXB’s largest source market with 8.8 million passengers, followed by Saudi Arabia (5.5M), the UK (4.6M), Pakistan (3.2M), and the US (2.4M). Among city destinations, London led with 2.8 million guests, followed by Riyadh (2.3M) and Mumbai (1.8M).

Outbound leisure travelers favored destinations including Malaysia (687,000), Vietnam (493,000), and the Czech Republic (341,000), highlighting DXB’s role as a key tourism gateway.

Operational Excellence

DXB also maintained high service standards:

• 63.8 million bags handled in nine months, up 6.2%.

• 90% of bags reached passengers within 45 minutes.

• Mishandled baggage accuracy at 99.9%.

• 99.6% of departing passengers cleared passport control in under 10 minutes.

• Security screening under 5 minutes for 99.7% of travelers.

Driving Dubai’s Global Position

With record traffic and strong operational performance, DXB continues to cement Dubai’s role as a global economic and tourism hub, supporting international travel, trade, and investment while preparing for the next phase of aviation growth at DWC.