Why the world's busiest airport with over 92million passengers is shutting
The world's busiest international airport, which welcomes over 60 million passengers a year, is set to close as it undergoes a £28 billion expansion to increase its capacity to 260 million passengers annually.
Dubai International Airport, known as DXB, is a major travel hub and a key destination for long-haul travel for millions of Brits who flock to the Gulf city each year.
But its boss, Paul Griffiths, announced all services will eventually be moved in the coming decades to the newer Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC).
Located 22 miles outside of the city and 38 miles from DXB, Al Maktoum International Airport opened its doors in 2010, though a new DWC terminal is expected to open in 2032 and full expansion will continue into the 2050s.
According to Griffiths, Dubai International Airport, which first opened in 1960, is nearing the end of its 'useful operating role.'
Speaking at the Arabian Travel Market conference last week, he said: 'There is little sense in operating two major hubs with such close proximity to one another.
'We will move every single service to DWC. By then, every single asset at DXB will be close to the end of its useful operating role, so the economics of keeping DXB open will not be possible unless we invest a huge amount of money.'
DXB is currently the world's second busiest airport, having handled a record 92.3 million passengers in 2024, but it holds the top spot as the world's busiest for international passengers, as reported by Aviation Week.
DWC, on the other hand, has been in limited use for the last 15 years, initially utilised for cargo and later for some passengers services, including a handful of EasyJet flights.
But all of that is expected to change, as Al Maktoum is expected to be five times the size of DXB, and a capacity to handle 260 million passengers a year after completion.
The new airport will have five parallel runways and up to 400 aircraft gates, marking its status as the largest airport project in the world.
Currently, it's estimated as much as 6.2 million international travellers arrive in Dubai every single day, which equates to around 17,000 British visitors, as reported by The Standard.
Over the years, the surge in footfall from international tourists has imposed a new strain on the capacity of DXB, which is sandwiched between two major highways and residential neighbourhoods.
Last April, UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced that aviation operations would move to the city's second airfield.
In the meantime, DXB remains the emirate's main aviation hub, with both British Airways and Emirates expected to continue operating popular flight paths to DXB from the UK.
Although airport's ultimate closure date is yet to be confirmed, it is reported DXB will be likely redeveloped into a space for real estate in years to come.
The surge in footfall from international tourists has imposed a new strain on the capacity of DXB, which is sandwiched between two major highways and residential neighbourhoods
It comes as the world's best airport has been crowned in a new ranking, with the UK failing to get a spot in the top 20.
Singapore Changi Airport topped the list for a 'record-breaking' 13th time at the 2025 Skytrax World Airport Awards.
The awards are the world's largest customer airport satisfaction survey and assess customer service and facilities across 565 airports.
Changi Airport has a huge number of attractions for travellers including a butterfly garden, a rooftop pool and a hedge maze.
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The lounge at Dubai International Airport in the 1970s (Credit: Dubai Airports) The 1970s saw a whole host of changes at the airport (Credit: DXB Airports) DXB in the 1970s (Credit: DXB Airport) An aerial shot of DXB in the late 1970s (Credit: DXB Airports) An Air traffic control tower was brought in during the 1970s (Credit: DXB Airports) An aerial view of DXB in the 1970s (Credit: DXB Airports) History of DXB Airport: Emirates arrives The 1980s was a transformational period for the airport, as Dubai Duty Free began operations at DXB in 1983, a second runway was installed and Emirates started operations for the first time. The launch of Emirates came about fairly quickly after the initial idea was proposed in 1984 by Sehikh Al Maktoum. The Dubai National Air Travel Agency launched the airline within five months of it being asked in March 1985. Emirates took flight for the first time in the 1985 (Credit: Dubai Airports) The plan for Emirates was simply that it had to 'look good, be good, and make money'. And it's fair to say it's achieved that goal. You may like: How Emirates went from just two planes to world's biggest airline Similar to the initial flights all the way back in the 30s which stopped in Dubai on the way to South Asia, Emirates first flights were to Karachi and Mumbai in October of 1985. And in 1988, more than 4.3 million passengers passed through Dubai International Airport. Departures at DXB in the 1980s (Credit: DXB Airports) History of DXB Airport: Terminal 2 opens As Dubai continued to expand and grow in the 1990s, so too did its airport with a second terminal opening by the end of the millennium. In 1998, Terminal 2 opened at Dubai International Airport which increased capacity by two million passengers per annum. Dubai International Airport in the 1990s (Credit: DXB Airports) Dubai International Airport in the 1990s (Credit: DXB Airports) History of DXB Airport: The modern era Once we reached the 2000s, things started really ramping up at the airport. In 2002, it was named the fastest growing airport in the world with good reason. A Dhs2 billion project to expand the airport saw the capacity more than double from 10 million passengers to 23 million as a new concourse was constructed. The capacity grew once more in 2008 when a third terminal was built which allowed room for 60 million passengers. A year later, 40 million passengers passed through DXB for the first time as work began on another concourse and terminal 2 got a makeover ahead of the launch of flydubai. And in 2014, DXB became the world's top airport for international passenger traffic as it welcomed 70.4 million people in one year. A title it has held onto ever since. Dubai Airports 2024 (Credit: DXB) Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport (Credit: DXB) DXB: The future Earlier in 2024, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced plans for a massive Dhs128 billion expansion of the city's other airport Al Maktoum International Airport. Dubai's second airport is based in Jebel Ali (see, we did get back to it as promised), a part of the city that decision-makers want to develop, and has been in operation since 2010. A render of plans for Al Maktoum International Airport (Credit: Dubai Media Office) The plans for Al Maktoum International Airport will eventually see it have capacity for 260 million passengers once complete. Currently, it serves a small fraction of that number. But plans could take more than a decade to come to fruition. As for DXB? It is unclear what the future holds for the city's current biggest airport once Al Maktoum International is complete. Flying from Dubai soon? 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