Dubai Airport set to break records

Dubai International Airport, one of the world's busiest, welcomed a record 46 million passengers in the first half of the year, despite tensions in the Middle East, the operator announced Tuesday. Traffic in the wealthy Gulf emirate reached 44.9 million passengers during the first six months of 2024.

"The 2.3% year-on-year growth underlines (...) the airport's ability to maintain a high level of performance, despite the temporary disruptions to regional airspace in May and June," Dubai Airports said in a statement. Tensions in the Middle East have prompted several international airlines to reduce or suspend their routes to the region, particularly during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, which began on June 13.

According to Dubai Airports, average monthly traffic reached approximately 7.7 million passengers, or 254,000 passengers per day, with a monthly record of 8.5 million passengers in January. "Based on our performance to date and our positive outlook, we expect traffic to reach 96 million this year, bringing us closer to the symbolic 100 million milestone," CEO Paul Griffiths said in the statement.

The second largest city in the United Arab Emirates, located between Asia, Europe, and Africa, has positioned itself as a global air hub. With 92.3 million passengers welcomed in 2024, its airport is the world's largest in terms of international traffic and second only to Atlanta, in the United States, in terms of total passenger numbers, according to the Airports Council International (ACI) ranking.

Authorities announced last year a nearly $35 billion project to expand the city's second airport, Al Maktoum, and transfer operations there from 2032. The new airport is expected to eventually reach a capacity of 240 million passengers, making it the largest in the world.