Dubai Airport Achieves 24.2M Passengers in Q3 2025

Dubai International Airport (DXB) has achieved a significant milestone in its 65 years, accommodating 24.2 million passengers in the third quarter of 2025. This figure signifies a 1.9% increase year-over-year, boosting total traffic for the first nine months to 70.1 million passengers, up 2.1% from the previous year. By September, the airport's rolling annual traffic reached 93.8 million.

The number of aircraft movements remained strong, with DXB recording 115,000 flights in Q3 and 336,000 flights across all categories over the first nine months, reflecting a 2.7% year-over-year rise. The average number of passengers per aircraft was 213, demonstrating effective operational management.

Enhancing the Travel Experience

To cater to increasing demand, Dubai Airports is upgrading its terminals. New developments include:

• CB Central (Terminal 3): Featuring top-notch brands and experiences typical of Dubai.

• CB East: Family-oriented dining and entertainment facilities.

• CB West: A hub for premium shopping and casual dining.

• CD Central (Concourse D, Terminal 1): Offers panoramic views of the airfield with modern relaxation areas and easy access to retail.

Looking to the future, the airport is also developing Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC), aiming to position itself as the primary gateway by the early 2030s, intended as a forward-thinking global aviation hub.

Primary Markets and Destinations

India leads as 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 the city destinations, London retained the top spot with 2.8 million visitors, followed closely by Riyadh (2.3M) and Mumbai (1.8M).

Leisure travelers have shown a preference for destinations such as Malaysia (687,000), Vietnam (493,000), and the Czech Republic (341,000), emphasizing DXB's critical role as a tourism gateway.

Maintaining Operational Excellence

DXB has upheld high service benchmarks:

• 63.8 million bags processed in nine months, a 6.2% increase.

• 90% of bags delivered to passengers within 45 minutes.

• Mishandled baggage accuracy stood at 99.9%.

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

• Security checks were completed in under 5 minutes for 99.7% of travelers.

Positioning Dubai on the Global Stage

With record passenger figures and robust operational performance, DXB continues to solidify Dubai's status as a global hub for economy and tourism, supporting international travel, trade, and investments while gearing up for further advancements at DWC.