Operational Excellence Award presented to Dubai Airports
Madrid, Spain — Dubai Airports has received the Operational Excellence Award from AirportLabs at Passenger Terminal Expo 2025, recognising a decade of innovation that has transformed operations at the world's busiest international airport, Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC), Dubai's vision for the future of aviation.
The award honours Dubai Airports' sustained leadership in operational performance, digital innovation, and the deployment of cutting-edge technologies across DXB and DWC, setting new global standards for airport excellence.
By adopting and scaling cloud-based, real-time systems tailored and co-created to its unique operational demands, Dubai Airports has redefined what efficiency, resilience, and passenger-centric service look like in modern aviation.
Presented during AirportLabs' 10th anniversary, the award also reflects a long-standing commitment to continuous improvement and future-focused airport operations.
A Relentless Pursuit of Operational Excellence
Dubai Airports' continued recognition stems from its unwavering focus on operational performance, fuelled by the strategic adoption of best practices and next-generation technologies.
Through a bold embrace of innovation and real-time responsiveness, Dubai Airports has set global benchmarks in operational excellence—delivering world-class service in one of the most complex and high-traffic airport environments on the planet.
Its future-ready infrastructure and intelligent systems enable seamless coordination and agility, even at record-breaking passenger volumes. For passengers, these innovations translate into faster, smoother, and more secure travel experiences—even during periods of peak demand.
By consistently investing in digital platforms and scalable operations, Dubai Airports has redefined what it means to be resilient, adaptive, and customer-first in modern aviation.
This award is not just a nod to technological advancement, but a reflection of Dubai Airports' long-standing commitment to continuous improvement, sustainable growth, and its role as a powerhouse of global connectivity and economic progress.
A Decade of Collaboration: From Vision to Reality
That journey of excellence has been supported by a decade-long collaboration built on trust, shared vision, and a drive to tackle complex operational challenges through innovation.
Through its early partnership with AirportLabs, Dubai Airports played a key role in shaping some of the aviation industry's most impactful digital solutions — many of which were designed, tested, and successfully implemented within the dynamic environments of DXB and DWC.
Key early milestones included the adoption of the Airport Community App (ACA) and the rollout of the VisionAir Flight Information Display System (FIDS) in 2016. These solutions transformed how real-time information was shared across the airport, streamlining collaboration among airport stakeholders and enhancing the passenger experience.
By transitioning mission-critical systems to the cloud — a bold move for the industry at the time — Dubai Airports established new standards for situational awareness, communication, and responsiveness at scale.
Building on this momentum, AirportLabs and Dubai Airports co-created a suite of custom solutions tailored to the complexities of managing high-volume aviation hubs:
SkyCore AODB – for centralised operational data management
Real-Time DXB – for live situational awareness
Pocket Flights – for mobile access to real-time flight information
Allegra RMS – for advanced resource planning and allocation
These innovations continue to support Dubai Airports' ability to deliver exceptional service levels, even amid record-breaking passenger traffic.
About the Operational Excellence Awards
The Operational Excellence Awards celebrate a decade of transformative partnerships that have driven real-world impact across the aviation industry. Honouring sustained innovation, collaboration, and leadership, the awards recognise the airports and organisations shaping the future of airport operations through lasting commitment to excellence.
About Dubai Airports
Dubai Airports operates both of Dubai's airports, Dubai International (DXB) and Al Maktoum International (DWC).
As an integrator, Dubai Airports works to balance the interests of all stakeholders to maintain aviation growth, protect operational resilience and ensure that service providers collaborate to provide a safe and secure service and improve customer experience whilst maintaining a sustainable business.
In 2024, DXB welcomed a total of 92.3 million guests, the highest annual traffic in its history.
DXB is ranked as the world's number one airport by international passenger numbers for 2024, as announced by the Airports Council International (ACI).
DWC embodies Dubai's vision for the future of aviation. With expansion plans announced in May 2024, involving a record investment of US$35b, DWC aims to reshape the aviation landscape.
Over the next decade, DWC will accommodate 150m passengers annually, eventually expanding to 260m passengers and 12m tonnes of cargo.
With five runways, futuristic design and seamless intermodal connectivity, DWC aims to revolutionise global air travel, setting new standards for efficiency and passenger experience for the next 50 years.
High-resolution images of DXB are available here: Media Library
For recent updates, refer to our official social media platforms on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter or hashtags: #DubaiAirports #DXB #DubaiWorldCentral.
About AirportLabs
AirportLabs, a global leader in aviation technology, delivers the industry's most advanced and fully integrated Aviation SaaS ecosystem. With a decade of proven impact and deployments across 60+ airports — including some of the world's busiest international hubs — AirportLabs' cloud-native platforms redefine how airports operate, collaborate, and innovate. By seamlessly connecting critical operations, transforming complex data ecosystems, and enhancing real-time collaboration, AirportLabs empowers airports, airlines, and ground handlers worldwide to achieve unparalleled efficiency, resilience, and passenger experience.
Media Contacts:
Dubai Airports PR Team
pr@dubaiairports.ae
AirportLabs Press Contact
Margareta Iancu, PR & Marketing Manager
margareta.iancu@airportlabs.com
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