Dubai International Airport

Dubai International Airport (Arabic: مطار دبي الدولي) (IATA: DXB, ICAO: OMDB) is the primary international airport serving Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and is the world's busiest airport by international passenger traffic as of 2023. It is also the busiest airport in the Middle East as of 2024, the second-busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic as of 2024, the busiest airport for Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 movements, and the airport with the highest average number of passengers per flight. In 2023, the airport handled 87 million passengers and 1.81 million tonnes of cargo and registered 416,405 aircraft movements.
Dubai International Airport is situated in the Al Garhoud district, 2.54 nautical miles (4.70 km; 2.92 mi) east of the city center of Dubai and spread over an area of 2,900 hectares (7,200 acres) of land. Terminal 3 is the third-largest building in the world by floor space and the largest airport terminal in the world. In July 2019, Dubai International airport installed the largest solar energy system in the region's airports as part of Dubai's goal to reduce 30 per cent of the city energy consumption by 2030.
Emirates Airline has its hub airport in Dubai International (DXB) and has its own terminal 3 with three concourses that they share with Flydubai. The Emirates hub is the largest airline hub in the Middle East; Emirates handles 51% of all passenger traffic and accounts for approximately 42% of all aircraft movements at the airport. Dubai Airport is also the base for low-cost carrier flydubai which handles 13% of passenger traffic and 25% of aircraft movements at DXB. The airport has a total capacity of 90 million passengers annually. As of January 2024, over 8,000 weekly flights are operated by 100 airlines to over 262 destinations across all inhabited continents. Over 63% of travelers using the airport in 2018 were connecting passengers.
In 2014, Dubai International indirectly supported over 400,000 jobs and contributed over US$26.7 billion to the economy, representing around 27% of Dubai's GDP and 21% of the employment in Dubai.
Due to the announced expansion of Al Maktoum Airport on 28 April 2024, Dubai International Airport will be shut down once Al Maktoum Airport expansion will be completed.
The history of civil aviation in Dubai started in July 1937 when an air agreement was signed for a flying boat base for aircraft of Imperial Airways with the rental of the base at about 440 rupees per month – this included the guards' wages. The Empire Flying Boats started operating once a week flying eastbound to Karachi from the UK and westbound to Southampton, England. By February 1938, there were four flying boats a week.
In the 1940s, flying from Dubai was by flying boats operated by British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), operating the Horseshoe route from Southern Africa via the Persian Gulf to Sydney.
Construction of the airport was ordered by the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, in 1959. It officially opened on 30 September 1960, at which time it was able to handle aircraft the size of a Douglas DC-3 on a 1,800-metre-long (5,900 ft) runway made of compacted sand. Three turning-areas, an apron and small terminal completed the airport that was constructed by Costain.
In May 1963, construction of a 2,800-metre (9,200 ft) asphalt runway started. This new runway, alongside the original sand runway and taxiway opened in May 1965, together with several new extensions to the terminal Building, hangars were erected, and Airport and Navigational aids were installed. The installation of the lighting system continued after the official opening and was completed in August 1965. During the second half of the 1960s several extensions, equipment upgrades like a VHF omnidirectional range (VOR) and an instrument landing system (ILS), as well as new buildings, were constructed. By 1969, the airport was served by 9 airlines serving some 20 destinations.
The inauguration on 15 May 1966 was marked by the visits of the first big jets, De Havilland Comets of Middle East Airlines and Kuwait Airways.
The advent of wide-body aircraft required further airport development in the 1970s and plans for a new terminal, runways, and taxiways capable of coping with international flights were drawn up. The construction of a new terminal building consisting of a three-story building 110 m (360 ft) long with an enclosed floor area of 13,400 m (144,000 sq ft). A new 28 m (92 ft) control tower was also constructed.
Expansion continued in the early 1970s including ILS Category II equipment, lengthening the existing runway to 3,800 m (12,500 ft), installation of a non-directional beacon (NDB), diesel generators, taxiways, etc. This work made handling the Boeing 747 and Concorde possible. Several runway and apron extensions were carried out through the decade to meet growing demand.
The new precision category 2 Approach and Runway Lighting System was commissioned in 1971. The construction of the Airport Fire Station and the installation of the generators were completed in December 1971 and were fully operational in March 1972. The ruler of Dubai also commissioned and inaugurated the Long-range Surveillance System on 19 June 1973.
With the expansion of the Airport Fire Services, it became necessary to find more suitable hangars. A hangar-style building was made available for use at the end of 1976. This building was strategically located midway between the runway ends to facilitate efficient operations. Additionally, a new building was constructed to house the Airport Maintenance Engineer, Electronics Engineering section, and Stores unit.
Expansion and refurbishment of the Airport Restaurant and Transit Lounge, including a new kitchen, were completed in December 1978.
The next phase of development included the construction of a new runway, which was completed three months ahead of schedule and opened in April 1984. This runway, located 360 metres north of and parallel to the existing runway, was equipped with the latest meteorological, airfield lighting, and instrument landing systems, giving the airport a Category II classification.
Several extensions and upgrades were also made to the terminal facilities and supporting systems. On December 23, 1980, the airport became an ordinary member of the Airports Council International (ACI). The decline of Karachi Airport is often attributed to the traffic Dubai diverted from it.
During the 1980s, Dubai was a stopping point for airlines such as Air India, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, and others traveling between Asia and Europe that needed a refueling point in the Persian Gulf. Later made redundant with the availability of Russian airspace due to the breakup of the Soviet Union and the advent of longer-range aircraft introduced in the late 1980s and early 1990s such as the Airbus A340, the Boeing 747-400 and the Boeing 777 series aircraft, which had the ability to fly between Europe and Southeast Asia nonstop. British Airways flights from Islamabad to Manchester also stopped for short times during the 1980s.
The opening of Terminal 2 in 1998 saw the first step of phase 1 of the new development master plan launched in 1997. In the second stage, Concourse 1, named Sheikh Rashid Terminal opened in April 2000. The concourse is 800 m (2,600 ft) in length connects to the check-in area via a 300 m (980 ft) tunnel containing moving walkways (conveyor belt/travelators). It also contains a hotel, business center, health club, exchanges, dining and entertainment facilities, internet services, a medical center, a post office, and a prayer room. The next step was runway reconfiguration, already part of phase 2, and aprons and taxiways were expanded and strengthened in 2003–2004. In addition, the Dubai Flower Centre opened in 2005 as part of the development. The airport saw the need for this as the city is a hub for the import and export of flowers and the airport required a specialist facility since flowers need special conditions.
Construction of Terminal 3 began in 2004 as the next stage of phase 2 of the development, with an estimated cost of around $4.55 billion. Completion was originally planned for 2006 but was delayed by two years.
On 30 May 2008, a topping-out ceremony was conducted. The terminal became operational on 14 October 2008, with Emirates Airline (EK2926) from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, being the first flight to arrive at the new terminal and EK843 to Doha, Qatar being the first departing flight. The terminal increased the airport's maximum annual passenger capacity by 47 million, bringing the total annual capacity to 75 million passengers.
On 29 October 2010, the airport marked its 50th anniversary. The airport has seen over 402 million passengers at an average annual growth rate of 15.5% and handled over 3.87 million aircraft at an average annual growth rate of 12.4%.
With the arrival of the Airbus A380, the airport made modifications costing $230 million. These included the building of 29 gates capable of handling large aircraft, five of which are in Terminal 3 and two are in Terminal 1. Other important projects at the airport include the next stage of phase 2 development, which includes the construction of Concourse 3. This will be a smaller version of Concourse 2, connected to Terminal 3.
Also as part of the expansion, the airport now handles at least 75 million (an increase of 19 million) passengers per annum with the opening of Concourse 3, part of Terminal 3. However, recent communications predict a further increase to 80 million passengers with additional reassessments of existing capacities. In 2009, Terminal 2 expanded its facilities to handle 5 million (an increase of 2 million) passengers annually, taking the airport's total capacity to 62 million passengers. Terminal 2 capacity was planned to bring the total capacity of the airport from the initial 75 million passengers to 80 million passenger capacity by 2012.
The Cargo Mega Terminal, which will have the capacity to handle 3 million tonnes of cargo a year, is a major development; it will be built in the long term. The completion of the mega terminal will be no later than 2018. Terminal 2 will be completely redeveloped to match the status of the other two terminals. With all of these projects completed by 2013, the airport expects to handle at least 75–80 million passengers and over 5 million tonnes of cargo.
The airport's landside facilities were modified to allow the construction of two stations for the Red Line of Dubai Metro. One station was built at Terminal 1 and the other at Terminal 3. The line began service on 9 September 2009 and opened in phases over the next year. The second Metro line, the Green Line, runs near the Airport Free Zone and has served the airport's north-eastern area with the Terminal 2 starting in September 2011.
With phase 2 of DXB's expansion plan complete, the airport now has three terminals and three concourses, two cargo mega terminals, an airport-free zone, an expo center with three large exhibition halls, a major aircraft maintenance hub and a flower center to handle perishable goods. A phase 3 which has been included in the master plan involves the construction of a new Concourse 4.
The airport revealed its future plans in May 2011, which involve the construction of a new Concourse D for all airlines currently operating from Concourse C. Concourse D is expected to bring the total capacity of the airport to over 90 million passengers and will open in early 2016. The plan also involves Emirates solely operating from Concourse C along with Concourse A and B.
In September 2012, Dubai Airports changed the names of concourses to make it easier for passengers to navigate the airport. Concourse 1, in which over 100 international airlines operate, became Concourse C (C1-C50). Concourse 2 became Concourse B (B1-B32) and Concourse 3 became Concourse A (A1-A24). The gates in Terminal 2 were changed and are now numbered F1 to F12. The remaining alpha-numeric sequences are being reserved for future airport facilities that are part of the Dubai Airports' $7.8 billion expansion programm, including Concourse D.
In December 2024, CEO Paul Griffiths declared that Dubai International Airport is rapidly expanding, with plans to enhance passenger experiences through advanced technologies like facial recognition and a focus on reducing wait times while maximizing shopping opportunities. He highlighted a $35 billion expansion of Dubai World Central, aiming to create smaller, more intimate airport experiences within a vast complex, ultimately positioning it to become the world's largest airport.
Dubai's government announced the construction of a new airport in Jebel Ali, named Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International Airport. It is expected to be the second-largest airport in the world by physical size, though not by passenger metrics. It opened 27 June 2010; however, construction is not expected to finish until 2027. The airport is expected to be able to accommodate up to 160 million passengers. There has been an official plan to build the Dubai Metro Purple Line to connect Al Maktoum International Airport to Dubai International Airport; construction was set to begin in 2012. The proposed 52 km (32 mi) Purple Line will link Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport.
Concourse D opened on 24 February 2016 for all international airlines and moved out of Terminal 1. Emirates now operates from Concourses A, B, and C, all under Terminal 3. while FlyDubai operates from Terminal 2 (Concourse F).
On 20 December 2018 the airport celebrated its one billionth passenger.
In April 2024, the airport was submerged in water by floods and suffered extensive damage.
Recreational flying to Dubai is catered for by the Dubai Aviation Club, which undertakes flying training for private pilots and provides facilities for private owners.
The Government of Dubai provides short and long-range search and rescue services, police support, medical evacuation, and general-purpose flights for the airport and all VIP flights to the airport.
Dubai International Airport was conceptualized to function as Dubai's primary airport and the region's busiest for the foreseeable future without the need for relocation or the building of another airport when passenger figures increased. The area was chosen near Dubai, to attract passengers from the city of Dubai, rather than travel to the busier Sharjah International Airport. The planned location originally was Jebel Ali.
The original master plan for the existing airport initially involved a dual-terminal and one runway configuration over two phases with provisions for another two passenger terminals in the near future. Phase 1 included the construction of the first passenger terminal, the first runway, 70 aircraft parking bays, support facilities, and structures, including large maintenance hangar, the first fire station, workshops, and administrative offices, an airfreight complex, two cargo agents' buildings, in-flight catering kitchens and an 87 m (285 ft) control tower. Construction for the second phase would commence immediately after the completion of Phase 1 and include the second runway, 50 new aircraft parking bays in addition to the existing 70 bays, a second fire station, and a third cargo agent building.
The third phase included the construction of a new terminal (now the parts of Terminal 1's main building and Concourse C) and an additional 60 parking bays, as well as a new aircraft maintenance facility. Then, in the early 2000s (decade) a new master plan was introduced which began the development of the current concourses and terminal infrastructure.
Paul Griffiths (Dubai Airports' CEO) in his interview with Vision magazine, cited plans to build infrastructure to support the expansion of Emirates and budget airline flydubai and ascend the ranks of global aviation hubs.
The 87-metre-tall (285 ft) airport traffic control tower (ATCT) was constructed as part of phase two of the then-development plan.
Dubai International Airport has three terminals. Terminal 1 has one concourse (Concourse D), Terminal 2 is set apart from the other two main buildings and Terminal 3 is divided into Concourse A, B, and C. The cargo terminal is capable of handling 3 million tonnes of cargo annually and a general aviation terminal (GAT) is close by.
Dubai Airport has three passenger terminals. Terminals 1 and 3 are directly connected with a common transit area, with airside passengers being able to move freely between the terminals without going through immigration, while Terminal 2 is on the opposite side of the airport. For transiting passengers, a shuttle service runs between the terminals, with a journey time of around 20 minutes from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1 and 30 minutes to Terminal 3. Passengers in Terminal 3 who need to transfer between Concourse A and the rest of the Terminal have to travel via an automated people mover. Also after early 2016 when the construction of Concourse D was done, there is now an automated people mover between concourse D and Terminal 1.
Situated beside Terminal 2 is the Executive Flights Terminal, which has its own check-in facilities for premium passengers and where transportation to aircraft in any of the other terminals is by personal buggy.
The three passenger terminals have a total handling capacity of around 80 million passengers a year.
Terminals 1 and 3 cater to international passengers, whilst Terminal 2 is for budget passengers and passengers flying to the subcontinent and Persian Gulf region; Terminals 1 and 3 handle 85% of the passenger traffic, and the Executive Flights terminal is for the higher-end travelers and important guests.
Terminal 1 has a capacity of 45 million passengers. It is used by over 100 airlines and is connected to Concourse D by an automated people mover. It is spread over an area of 520,000 m (5,600,000 sq ft) and offers 221 check-in counters.
The Terminal was originally built within the airport's old building to handle 18 million passengers; however, with extreme congestion at the terminal, the airport was forced to expand the terminal to accommodate the opening of 28 remote gates. Over the years, more mobile gates were added to the airport bringing the total as of 2010 to 28.
In 2013, Dubai Airports announced a major renovation for Terminal 1 and Concourse C. The renovations include upgraded baggage systems, replacement of check-in desks and a more spacious departure hall. Arrivals will also see improvements to help reduce waiting times. The renovation was completed by the middle of 2015.
Planning began for further expansion of Dubai Airport, with the construction of Terminal 4, it was revealed on the day Emirates completed its phased operations at the new Terminal 3, on 14 November 2008. According to Dubai Airport officials, plans for Terminal 4 had begun and extensions would be made to Terminal 3. These are required to bring the capacity of the airport to 80–90 million passengers a year by 2015.
In May 2011, Paul Griffiths, chief executive of Dubai Airports revealed the Dubai Airport masterplan. It involves the construction of Concourse D (previously Terminal 4). With a capacity of 15 million, it would bring the total capacity of the airport to 90 million passengers by 2018—an increase of 15 million. It also will see Emirates take over the operation at Concourse C, along with Concourse A and B which it will already be operating. All remaining airlines will shift to Concourse D, or move to Al Maktoum International Airport. The airport projects that international passenger and cargo traffic will increase at an average annual growth rate of 7.2% and 6.7%, respectively, and that by 2020 passenger numbers at Dubai International Airport will reach 98.5 million and cargo volumes will top 4.1 million tonnes.
Concourse D will have a capacity of 15 million passengers, include 17 gates and will be connected to Terminal 1 via an automated people mover. On 6 February 2016, members of the public were invited to trial the concourse in preparation for its opening. On Wednesday, 24 February 2016, Concourse D officially opened with the first British Airways flight arriving at gate D8.
Concourse D and Terminal 1 reopened on 24 June 2021 following a year's closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Terminal 2, built in 1998, has an area of 47,000 m (510,000 sq ft) and has a capacity of 10 million as of 2013, after several, decent reconstructions and a major expansion in 2012 which saw capacity double. It is used by over 50 airlines, mainly operating in the Persian Gulf region. Most flights operate to India, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
In June 2009, Terminal 2 became the hub of Air India Express and flydubai, and the terminal houses the airline's corporate head office.
Terminal 2 has undergone a major refurbishment recently, extending check-in and boarding facilities, changing the interior and exterior décor, and offering more dining choices to passengers. Capacity was increased to allow for 10 million passengers, an increase of 5 million.
The terminal has now increased the number of facilities available to passengers. Check-in counters have increased to 37. The boarding area is more spacious, with more natural light. Also, the new open boarding gates allow several flights to board simultaneously, improving passenger and aircraft movements. There are a total of 43 remote stands at the terminal. However, passengers cannot move between Terminal 2 to 1 or from 2 to 3 and vice versa inside the airport. They have to make use of Taxi services or public transport available outside.
The Dubai duty-free shopping area covers 2,400 m (26,000 sq ft) in departures and 540 m (5,800 sq ft) in arrivals. The 3,600-square-metre (39,000 sq ft) extension included a larger arrivals hall as well.
Terminal 2 has no jetbridges and so passengers are bussed to the aircraft at gates F1-F12.
The partly underground Terminal 3 was built at a cost of US$4.5 billion, exclusively for Emirates, and has a capacity of 65 million passengers. The terminal has 20 Airbus A380 gates at Concourse A and 5 at Concourse B and 2 at Concourse C. It was announced on 6 September 2012 that Terminal 3 would no longer be Emirates-exclusive, as Emirates and Qantas had set up an extensive code-sharing agreement. Qantas would be the second and only one of two airlines to fly in and out of Terminal 3. This deal also allows Qantas to use the A380 dedicated concourse. Qantas services to and from Dubai ceased in 2018 in favour of a Singapore stopover instead. flydubai, Emirates' low cost subsidiary also currently operates certain selected routes, including most European destinations, to and from Terminal 3.
In March 2023, United began services from Newark to Dubai, operating out of Terminal 3, becoming the only airline other than Emirates and flydubai to currently operate out of the terminal.
Upon completion, Terminal 3 was the largest building in the world by floor space, with over 1,713,000 m (18,440,000 sq ft) of space, capable of handling 60 million passengers in a year. A large part is located under the taxiway area and is directly connected to Concourse B: the departure and arrival halls in the new structure are 10 m (33 ft) beneath the airport's apron. Concourse A is connected to the terminal via a Terminal 3 APM. It has been operational since 14 October 2008, and opened in four phases to avoid collapse of baggage handling and other IT systems.
The building includes a multi-level underground structure, first and business class lounges, restaurants, 180 check-in counters, and 2,600 car-parking spaces. The terminal offers more than double the previous retail area of Concourse C, by adding about 4,800 m (52,000 sq ft) and Concourse B's 10,700 m (115,000 sq ft) of shopping facilities.
In arrivals, the terminal contains 72 immigration counters and 14 baggage carousels. The baggage handling system—the largest system and also the deepest in the world—has a capacity to handle 8,000 bags per hour. The system includes 21 screening injection points, 49 make-up carousels, 90 km (56 mi) of conveyor belts capable of handling 15,000 items per hour at a speed of 27 km/h (17 mph) and 4,500 early baggage storage positions.
Concourse A, part of Terminal 3, opened 2 January 2013, has a capacity of 19 million passengers and is connected to the two major public levels of Terminal 3 via Terminal 3 APM in addition to the vehicular and baggage handling system utility tunnels for further transfer. The concourse opened on 2 January 2013 and was built at a cost of US$3.3 billion. The building, which follows the characteristic shape of Concourse B, 924 m (3,031 ft) long, 91 m (299 ft) wide and 40 m (130 ft) high in the centre from the apron level and accommodates 20 air bridge gates, of which all are capable of handling the Airbus A380-800. There are also 6 remote lounges for passengers departing on flights parked at 13 remote stands. The gates in Concourse A are labeled A1–A24. Gates A6, A7, A18, and A19 are not equipped with jetbridges and so passengers departing from these gates are bussed to the aircraft.
The concourse includes one 4-star hotel and one 5-star hotel, first- and business-class lounges, and duty-free areas. The total built-up area is 540,000 m (5,800,000 sq ft). The concourse allows for multi-level boarding and boasts the largest first and business class lounges in the world. Each lounge has its own dedicated floor offering direct aircraft access from the lounges. The total amount of retail space at the concourse is 11,000 m (120,000 sq ft), and there is also a total of 14 cafes and restaurants.
The total retail area in the concourse is approximately 11,000 m (120,000 sq ft).
Concourse B is directly connected to terminal 3 and is dedicated exclusively to Emirates. The total built-up area of the concourse itself is 675,000 m (7,270,000 sq ft). The concourse is 945 m (3,100 ft) long, 90.8 m (298 ft) wide (at midpoint) and 49.5 m (162 ft) high. The terminal has 10 floors (4 basements, a ground floor, and 5 above floors). The building currently includes a multi-level structure for departures and arrivals and includes 32 gates, labeled B1–B32. The concourse has 26 air bridge gates (gates B7-B32) and 5 boarding lounges (B1-B6) for 14 remote stands that are for Airbus A340 and Boeing 777 aircraft only. For transit passengers, the concourse has 3 transfer areas and 62 transfer desks.
The concourse also includes the Emirates first and Business class lounges, and the Marhaba lounge. The First class lounge has a capacity of 1,800 passengers and a total area of 12,600 m (136,000 sq ft). The Business class lounge has a capacity of 3,000 passengers and a total area of 13,500 m (145,000 sq ft). The Marhaba Lounge, the smallest lounge at the concourse has a capacity of 300 passengers at a time.
The total retail area at the concourse is 120,000 m (1,300,000 sq ft), which also includes 18 restaurants within the food court. There are also three hotels in the concourse; a 5-star hotel and a 4-star hotel.
There is a direct connection to Sheikh Rashid Terminal (Concourse C) located at the control tower structure through passenger walkways. There is also a 300-room hotel and health club including both five and four-star rooms. Concourse B includes five aerobridges that are capable of handling the new Airbus A380. Emirates Airline continues to maintain a presence in Concourse C, operating 12 gates at the concourse as well as the Emirates First Class and Business Class Lounges.
Concourse C, a part of Terminal 3, was opened in 2000 and used to be the largest concourse at Dubai International Airport before Concourse B in Terminal 3 opened. It incorporates 50 gates, including 28 air bridges at gates (C1-C23, except for C12a, C15, and C15a) and 22 remote gates located at a lower level of the terminal at gates C29-C50. The gates are labelled C1–C50.
The concourse includes over 17 food and beverage cafes and restaurants, with the food court being located on the Departures Level. Also located in the concourse is a 5-star hotel and a 5,400 m (58,000 sq ft) duty-free shopping facility. Other facilities include prayer rooms and a medical center. Concourse C became part of Terminal 3 in 2016 after Concourse D opened.
The Al Majlis VIP pavilion was exclusively built for the Dubai Royal Air Wing and opened on 1 July 2008. The entire facility is a 3,400-square-metre (37,000 sq ft) terminal and includes a Royal Majlis and an antenna farm. It also includes eight aircraft hangars with a total built up area of 69,598 m (749,150 sq ft) and maintenance hangars for Boeing 747s and Airbus A380s, and a 1,200-square-metre (13,000 sq ft) gatehouse for VIP service. In 2010 there were 47,213 customers, 13,162 movements and in 2009, there were a total of 43,968 customers and 14,896 movements.
Executive Flight Services (EFS) caters to those passengers of high class or special importance who travel through Dubai International Airport. It is the largest dedicated business aviation terminal of its kind in the Middle East. It is located at the Dubai Airport Free Zone close to Dubai International's Terminal 2. It only caters to private flights exclusive to the terminal. Airlines operating from the terminal are expected to maintain a lounge. In 2010, EFS handled 7,889 aircraft movements and 25,177 passengers.
The center itself is located close to Terminal 2 and includes a 5,500 m (59,000 sq ft) two-story main building, a 3,700 m (40,000 sq ft) hangar, a 3,700 m (40,000 sq ft) ramp area for aircraft parking and a special VIP car park for long term parking. The center also has its own immigration and customs sections, its own Dubai Duty-Free outlet, a fully equipped business and conference center, eight luxury private lounges, and a limousine service between aircraft and the terminal. The ramp area of the terminal can accommodate up to 22 small-sized private jets, between 8 and 12 medium-sized jets, or up to four large-sized jets such as a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ), the Boeing 727 or the Airbus A319. The facility makes EFC the largest dedicated business aviation terminal in the Middle East.
The cargo village at Dubai International Airport is one of the world's largest and most central cargo hubs, with most of the cargo for Asia and Africa coming through the facility. Forecasts in 2004 for cargo growth predicted that additional major cargo handling facilities were needed to satisfy demands. Plans were put in place to construct the first stage of the cargo mega terminal, which by 2018 will have the ability to handle three million tons of freight. Phase 1 of the cargo mega terminal was completed by 2004 and the next phase of expansion was scheduled for completion in late 2007. Presently the airport has a cargo capacity of 2.5 million tonnes, and will be expanded to handle 3 million.
Dubai Airport has constructed a flower center to handle flower imports and exports, as Dubai is a major hub for the import and export of flowers, and the airport requires a specialist facility since these products need special conditions. The flower center's first phase was completed in 2004 at a cost of $50 million.
The center when completed and functioning will have a floor area of approximately 100,000 m (1,100,000 sq ft) including different export chambers and offices. The handling capacity of the center is expected to be more than 300,000 tonnes of product throughput per annum. The entire facility (with the exception of the offices) will be maintained at an ambient temperature of just 2 to 4 °C (36 to 39 °F).
Dubai Airport has two closely spaced parallel runways, 12R/30L is 4,447 m × 60 m (14,590 ft × 197 ft), 12L/30R is 4,000 m × 60 m (13,120 ft × 200 ft). The gap between the centrelines of the two runways is 385 m (1,263 ft). The runways are equipped with four sets of ILS to guide landing aircraft safely under very poor weather conditions. The runways were expanded to accommodate the Airbus A380 which came into service in 2007. In 2009, it was announced that the airport installed a Category III landing system, allowing planes to land in low-visibility conditions, such as fog. This system was the first of its kind in the United Arab Emirates.
In 2013 Dubai Airports announced an 80-day runway refurbishment program which started on 1 May 2014 and was completed on 21 July 2014. The northern runway was resurfaced while lighting upgrades and additional taxiways were built on the southern runway to help boost its capacity. The southern runway was closed from 1 to 31 May 2014, while the northern runway was closed from 31 May to 20 July 2014. Due to extra congestion on one runway, all freighter, charter and general aviation flights were diverted to Al Maktoum International Airport. Flights at DXB were reduced by 26% and 14 airlines moved to Al Maktoum International Airport whilst the runways works were being done. Emirates cut 5,000 flights and grounded over 20 aircraft during the period.
Dubai Airport plans to close the southern runway (12R/30L) for complete resurfacing and replacement of the airfield lighting and supporting infrastructure. This will be done during a 45-day period from 16 April 2019 to 30 May 2019. This upgrade will boost safety, service and capacity levels at DXB. Airlines will be required to reduce flight operations at DXB due to single runway operations.
With Dubai-based Emirates being one of the launch customers for the Airbus A380 and also the largest customer, Dubai Airport needed to expand its existing facilities to accommodate the very large aircraft. The Department of Civil Aviation spent $120 million in upgrading both of its terminals and airport infrastructure, including enlarged gate holdrooms, new finger piers, an enlarged runway, new airbridges and extended baggage belt carousels from the normal 70 to 90 m (230 to 300 ft). Dubai Airport also invested $3.5 billion into a new Concourse A, exclusively for handling Emirates A380s. With the changes made, the airport does not expect embarking and disembarking passengers and baggage from the A380 to take longer than it does for Boeing 747-400s, which carry fewer passengers. On 16 July 2008, Dubai Airport unveiled the first of two specially-built gates capable of handling the aircraft. Costing $10 million, the gates will enable passengers to get on the upper cabin of the new 555-seater aircraft directly from the gate hold rooms. The hold rooms themselves have been enlarged to cater for the larger number of passengers flying the A380s. In addition to the two gates at Terminal 1, five more A380-capable gates were opened at concourse B on 14 October 2008. Concourse A opened on 2 January 2013.
Workers building a new terminal at Dubai International Airport went on a sympathy strike in March 2006. Another strike took place in October 2007. Four thousand strikers were arrested. Most of them were released some days later and those who were not local were then deported from Dubai.
The following airlines offer regular scheduled and charter services to and from Dubai International:
Ground handling services at Dubai International Airport has been provided by Dnata Ground Handling Services.
Emirates Airlines has over 2000 Airport Services employees current serving the airport.
Services include cargo ramp and technical support services to airlines at Dubai Airport.
Emirates Engineering, based in Dubai, operates the aircraft maintenance and engine test cell technical facilities at the airport. Emirates Engineering currently provides full support for the Emirates Airline fleet and all the other international operations at the airport.
Current facilities include:
The airport has over 26,000 m (280,000 sq ft) of retail space spread between its three main terminals and includes many shopping and eating outlets. The Dubai duty-free shopping area in Terminal 2 covers 1,400 m (15,000 sq ft) in departures and 50 m (540 sq ft) in arrivals. The 3,437-square-metre (37,000 sq ft) extension included a larger arrivals hall as well.
Extensive upgrading work on existing retail areas since 2004 in Terminals 1 and 2 has increased sales. Dubai Duty Free Company announced annual sales of Dhs5.9 billion (US$1.6 billion) in 2012, representing a 10 per cent increase on the previous year. In 2008, Dubai Duty Free doubled its retail space from 7,000 to 15,000 m (75,000 to 161,000 sq ft) with the inauguration of the new Emirates Terminal 3 in October 2008. Dubai Duty Free recorded more than 23.5 million transactions in 2012. As of August 2009, Dubai Duty Free was the biggest single airport retail operation in the world ahead of London's Heathrow and Seoul's Incheon airports.
In addition to a wide array of duty-free shops and eating outlets, Dubai Airport has two open-air garden areas. Dubai Airport has numerous business centres located around the airport. Within the international transit area of the interconnected Terminals 1 and 2, internet and games facilities, prayer rooms, showers, spas, gym, swimming pool and three hotels are provided. Various lounge areas are provided, some including children's play areas or televisions showing news, movies and sports channels. Terminal 3 has a left luggage facility operated by Emirates in the Arrivals area where layover passengers can leave their luggage for a fee while they go sightseeing.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Dubai manages the overall safety and security of the airport. Pre-screening takes place in all terminals at the entrance of the airport. Iris scanning has been implemented in all UAE airports. This type of scanning prevents those deported from the UAE for serious criminal charges from returning again using fraudulent documents.
The airport uses highly sensitive equipment to conduct thorough searches on travellers into the UAE, including screening for smuggling, possessing or taking illegal drugs in the country. A senior Dubai judge was quoted on 11 February 2008, by Seven Days saying, "These laws help discourage anyone from carrying or using drugs. Even if the amount of illegal drugs found on someone is 0.05 grams, they will be found guilty. The penalty is a minimum four years if it is for personal use. The message is clear—drugs will not be tolerated". A number of travellers have been held pending charge while Dubai authorities test their possessions, blood and urine for any trace of contraband.
In 2018, Houthi rebel group claimed that Dubai airport had been attacked by drones launched by Houthi rebels from Yemen. In response, Dubai Airports stated “With regards to reports by questionable sources this morning, Dubai Airports can confirm that Dubai International (DXB) is operating as normal without any interruption”.
Since there are international flights operating out from the airport, the terminals are equipped with immigration processing facilities and security scanning for all passengers including domestic, and regional passengers. Terminals 1 and 3 handle 95% of the international flights, whilst Terminal 2 mainly caters to regional flights and international flights routed to other airports in Middle East. Emirates Airline operates from only Terminal 3. Conversely, low-cost carriers such as flydubai operate flights out of Terminal 2.
Passenger growth at the airport has been growing at an average rate of 18%. The airport reached its capacity of 33 million passengers per annum by 2007; however, this was still not enough to handle the growing over congestion at the airport. In 2013, the airport's capacity reached 75 million with the opening of concourse A and expansion of Terminal 2.
Passenger traffic for 2014 grew by 7.5% as 70.48 million passengers passed through Dubai International, compared to 66.43 million during the corresponding period in 2013. Growth slowed down in 2014 due to the 80-day runway resurfacing project, which saw DXB operate with only one runway between May and July.
In 2014, India was DXB's biggest destination with 8.91 million passengers. The UK, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan followed with 5.38 million, 4.88 million and 3.13 million, respectively. London's Heathrow became the top city destination, recording 2,626,357 passengers. Doha followed it with 2,355,959.
In 2020, Dubai International Airport's first quarter passenger traffic fell down by 67.8 per cent and reached 5.75 million. This is even lower than the statistics presented last year in the same quarter.
In 2022, Dubai International Airport registered strong recovery and robust growth in its customer base that propelled the annual passenger numbers to 66 million. The airport’s growth outpaced the annual forecast in the final months of the year following an exceptionally strong fourth quarter.
The airport handled 2.37 million tonnes of air cargo in 2014, a decrease of 3.1 per cent over 2013, making it the sixth-busiest airfreight hub in the world and the busiest in the Middle East. The decline was due to the runway closure, and the shifting of many cargo flights from DXB to Al Maktoum International Airport.
The airport is connected by the road D 89. One of the longest intra-city roads, D 89 begins at the Deira Corniche and runs perpendicular to D 85 (Baniyas Road). From Deira, the road progresses south-eastward towards Dubai International Airport, intersecting with E311 (Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road) past the airport. A road tunnel underneath one of the runways was built in 2003, known as the Airport Tunnel.
The airport is served by Dubai Metro, which operates two lines through or near the airport. The Red Line has a station at each of Terminal 3 and Terminal 1. The stations are located in front of both terminals and can be accessed directly from the arrivals areas.
The Green Line has at a station near the Airport Free Zone, from which passengers can connect to Terminal 2.
Dubai Buses operated by RTA run a number of routes to the city, but mainly Deira, and are available at the Airport Ground Transportation center and the Arrivals at every terminal.
Passengers who need to transfer between Terminals 1 and 3, and Terminal 2 can use the inter-terminal shuttle bus service which operates frequently.
Bus stations are situated opposite both Terminal 1, 2 and 3. Local buses CO1, 11, 15, 24, N30, 32C, 33, 64A and 77 can be used to connect with Terminal 1 and 3, while Bus 13B, 20, C26, N30, 31, and 43 connects with Terminal 2. Dubai International Airport Buses provide air-conditioned transport into the city center and over 80 hotels in the city.
Emirates offers a complimentary coach service, which operates three daily services to and from Al Ain, and four daily, to and from Abu Dhabi. So does Etihad.
The airport is served by the Government owned Dubai Taxi Agency, which provides 24-hour service at the arrivals in every terminal. The Airport Taxi fares are rather quite higher than the usual 5 AED fare for normal taxis but rather 500% of the fare starting from 25 dirhams.
In 2013, Dubai International Airport was featured in a 10-part documentary series called Ultimate Airport Dubai that aired on the National Geographic Channel and was produced by Arrow Media and National Geographic Channels International. The documentary focused on the everyday operations of the airport. The series returned for a second season in 2014 and a third in 2015. The series currently streams on popular streaming platform Disney+.