Dubai retains title of world's...

DXB welcomed a record 92.3 million passengers in 2024, marking its busiest-ever year

Dubai International Airport (DXB) has once again been named the world’s busiest international airport.

This is the 11th consecutive year that the UAE hub has claimed top spot, outperforming more than 2,181 airports worldwide, according to Airports Council International (ACI).

DXB welcomed a record 92.3 million passengers in 2024, marking the busiest-ever year for the UAE airport.

A 6.1% increase on the same period in 2023, the numbers surpass DXB’s previous record set in 2018 when 66 million passengers passed through its terminals.

Following Dubai, London’s Heathrow and Seoul Incheon in South Korea ranked second and third, respectively, with Singapore’s Changi and Schiphol in Amsterdam rounding out the top five busiest airports for international flights, according to ACI.

DXB is world's busiest international airport

Including domestic passenger travel, Dubai International took second place with Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, the hub for Delta Air Lines, retaining its title as the world’s busiest airport, handling 108.1 million travellers.

ACI data reveals that global air travel surged in 2024, with the total number of passengers reaching nearly 9.5 billion, an increase of 9% from 2023 and surpassing pre-Covid-19 traffic by around 3.8%.

"Amid global challenges, the resilience of the world’s busiest airports shines,” said Justin Erbacci, ACI World's Director General. “These hubs are vital arteries of trade, commerce and connectivity.”

Despite such growth, ACI predicts that the pace of passenger growth will slow in the coming years, with challenges including geopolitical tensions, economic volatility, airline capacity constraints and the “threat of tariffs”, which could indirectly affect international travel demand.

In 2025, global passenger traffic is forecast to reach 9.9 billion, with a 4.8% annual growth, according to ACI.

Middle East commercial airlines are expected to grow almost twice as quickly as the global average in the coming years, with its share of the global aircraft fleet increasing from 5.3% to 6.7% by 2035, a new report from Oliver Wyman reveals.

Saudi and the UAE are leading this growth, representing more than 60% of the market.

The UAE is investing heavily in aviation in the next decade. In 2024, a US$35 billion expansion plan was announced for Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC) as part of the emirate’s vision for the aviation landscape.

Over the next 10 years, DWC will serve 150 million passengers a year, and eventually have capacity for 260 million passengers.

For more information, visit aci.aero

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