DXB Braces for 10 Million Travellers This Year-End

Dubai International Airport is expected to welcome over 10 million passengers between November 27 and December 31 as holiday-season travel surges, airport authorities announced. The wave begins with the UAE National Day long weekend — when daily figures are projected to average more than 294,000 — before accelerating into December, which is forecast to deliver more than 8.7 million travellers, making it the busiest month on record for DXB. Daily traffic is anticipated to exceed 300,000, with Saturday, December 20 marked as the busiest day at 303,000 guests.

DXB has already delivered record quarterly performance this year, with 24.2 million passengers handled between July and September, representing a 1.9 per cent increase compared with the same period last year. That raised total traffic for the first nine months of 2025 to 70.1 million. The airport is widely recognised as the world’s busiest international hub, and the year-end forecast underlines its sustained dominance in global air travel.

The surge is being driven by outbound travel ahead of the long weekend holidays, followed by a substantial rise in inbound travel from mid-December as Dubai’s festive season kicks in. This pattern reflects a dual shift: residents leaving for holiday destinations first, then returning or arriving as international tourists.

Major carriers operating at DXB — including the national carrier of the UAE — have issued advisories urging travellers to plan well ahead. Passengers are being advised to arrive at least three hours before departure, use off-airport check-in options and leverage biometric e-gates for smoother transit to avoid congestion at terminals, carparks and immigration counters.