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Dubai International Airport readies for busiest day of 2025
December is expected to be the highest-traffic month in DXB’s history
Dubai International Airport (DXB) is preparing for its busiest period of 2025, with 28 December now projected to be the peak travel day of the entire year.
The world’s busiest airport expects to handle around 312,000 passengers on 28 December, surpassing the previously forecast peak of 309,000 on 20 December, according to Dubai Airports, the operator of DXB and Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC).
This puts December 2025 on track to become the busiest month in Dubai International’s history, with traffic expected to exceed 8.7 million passengers. Throughout the month, daily passenger numbers are set to remain above 300,000 as resident and inbound demand converges over the festive period.
To help manage flows, Dubai Airports is urging passengers to check in online where possible and arrive at the terminal no earlier than three hours before departure.
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Network growth underpins winter demand
To support the surge in demand, Dubai Airports has expanded its winter 2025 schedule, resulting in the largest combined network in its history across DXB and DWC. Low-cost carrier FlyArystan has joined the DXB network with twice-weekly flights from Aktau, adding a new Central Asian connection, while Pakistan-based Fly Jinnah has launched twice-weekly services from Lahore.
European capacity is also stepping up. Virgin Atlantic has upgraded its Dubai service to the Airbus A350-1000, increasing seat capacity on the route by 52%. British Airways has reinstated A380 operations from London Heathrow and Austrian Airlines has resumed daily flights from Vienna.
Saudi Arabia continues to be one of DXB’s standout growth markets in 2025. As of October year-to-date, Saudi Arabia ranked as Dubai International Airport’s second-largest country market, accounting for 7.8% of total passenger traffic, with combined flows between the kingdom and Dubai’s two airports reaching 6.3 million passengers – a 1.3% year-on-year increase.
While DXB remains Dubai’s primary global gateway, DWC is taking on a bigger role this winter, particularly for traffic to and from Eastern and Western Europe. The airport processed 1.1 million passengers in the first 10 months of the year, representing a 36.6% increase compared with the same period in 2024.
German carrier Eurowings is among the airlines driving this growth, launching a daily DXB service from Stuttgart and operating three weekly flights from Düsseldorf to DWC.
Beyond Dubai, all airports across the UAE – including in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah – are projected to handle a record 159 million passengers by the end of 2025, an increase of around 8% on the 147.8 million travellers recorded in 2024, according to the latest figures from the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA).
Meanwhile, Middle East airlines are forecast to lead the world in profitability in 2026, with a net profit margin of 9.3%, more than double the global average of 3.9%, according to the latest IATA Global Outlook. The region’s carriers are projected to earn US$6.8 billion in net profit next year, continuing to outperform the wider industry on profit margins after leading on net profit margin in 2025.
For more information, visit dubaiairports.ae
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