Due to increase in flights, more passengers now disembark in Dubai instead of connecting

Dubai International will soon become the first airport in the world to handle 100 million passengers in a year. some 40 years later Emirates Flights to and from UAE hubs have resumed operations, with millions of passengers moving between flights. But in a dramatic change compared to the pre-Covid era, the majority of travelers are starting or ending their journeys in Dubai.

In 2019, about 40 percent of passengers at Dubai International Airport were “O&D” traffic. This aviation abbreviation stands for Origin and Destination – indicating whether Dubai is the beginning or end of the journey.

But in the figures just revealed by the airport, this proportion has increased to 55 percent.

Robert Whitehouse, vice president of research at Dubai Airports, said the growth reflects “a balanced mix of inbound visitors, residents’ outbound travel and the many people choosing to make Dubai their home”.

The main attraction for tourists is the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world – more than half a mile tall. New attractions, hotels and restaurants are constantly opening in Dubai.

both this winter British Airways And Virgin Atlantic Capacity has been increased from London heathrow – Most of their passengers are ending their trips in Dubai. In addition, Austrian Airlines has relaunched its link to Vienna.

From Asia, three new twice-weekly flights have started:

Traffic to and from Saudi Arabia has also increased significantly, with the number expected to reach eight million by the end of the year – about 22,000 passengers per day to and from the kingdom.

Dubai became the world’s busiest international aviation hub in 2014, overtaking Heathrow for non-domestic passengers. But it faces stiff competition from Doha, Abu Dhabi, Istanbul and Riyadh Air’s planned bases in the Saudi capital.

At Doha’s airport, three out of four passengers are changing planes – the majority of which are on Qatar Airways. But Etihad’s hub Abu Dhabi has seen a decline in connecting traffic, with almost half the number of people traveling to and from the emirate. The Zayed National Museum opened in Abu Dhabi earlier this month, and the late Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim is expected to welcome visitors in 2026.

The percentage of passengers transferring to other global hubs is:

Measuring transit passengers at US and Canadian airports is difficult because all arriving international passengers are required to undergo immigration checks as if they were ending their journey.

Dubai is expected to reach 100 million passengers a calendar year in late 2026 or during 2027.

Read more: How to visit Dubai on a low budget