DXB to Reach 100 Million Passengers a Year Within 18 Months, Says Dubai Airports CEO

Published: 2026-08-26

Dubai International Airport (DXB) will handle 100 million passengers a year within about 18 months, Dubai Airports Chief Executive Paul Griffiths said on 2026-08-26, which points to early 2028. The airport closed 2025 with a record 95.2 million passengers, then lost 31.3% of its traffic in the first half of 2026, when the regional conflict closed Gulf airspace for weeks. Griffiths expects DXB to finish 2026 in “the low 70 millions”, to return to first place among the world’s international hubs by the end of the year and to cross the 100 million mark 18 months from now. Demand is confirmed by the figures he cited: Emirates and flydubai are flying with load factors in the 90s, airfares remain high, 56 airlines currently serve 236 cities in 100 countries from DXB, and new routes are added every week.

What Griffiths said on 2026-08-26

The statements were made at a Dubai Airports media briefing in Dubai on Wednesday, 2026-08-26, and reported the same day by Gulf News, The National and Khaleej Times. Griffiths was answering the question that dominated the first half of the year: how badly the conflict had hurt Dubai’s hub and how long the recovery would take. His answers, in figures:

• DXB handled 95.2 million passengers in 2025, its best year ever, after 92.3 million in 2024.
• Passenger traffic fell 31.3% year on year in the first half of 2026, to 31.5 million.
• Passenger numbers are now running at about 80% of pre-disruption levels, and seat capacity is back to 86%.
• DXB is expected to end 2026 with a passenger count in “the low 70 millions”.
• The 100 million milestone is expected within about 18 months, that is around the start of 2028.
• The airport slipped to second place in the global ranking of international hubs in the first half of 2026 after nearly 12 years at number one, and Griffiths expects it to be back on top by the end of 2026. In his words: “We’ve been 12 years as No 1 and I’m not going to lose that crown to anyone else.”

Griffiths did not soften the cause: “We had two months where we were under ballistic missile attack. That’s going to affect your traffic numbers, isn’t it?” Physical damage, he added, was repaired within 30 days in most cases, and the airport kept operating throughout.

First half of 2026 in numbers

On the same day Dubai Airports published its official half-year statistics. They show both the depth of the drop and the speed of the recovery through the second quarter.

The monthly curve is the key line: 3.5 million passengers in April, 4.5 million in May, 5 million in June and, by Griffiths’ account, a narrowing gap to 2025 every week since. “You can’t take the first six months as an indicator of long-term strength,” he said. India, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom remain the largest source markets, and the traffic mix is roughly 50% transfer passengers and 50% point-to-point. Dubai Airports summed up the period in one sentence: “The first half tested every part of the aviation system, and demonstrated our resilience.”

Why the CEO says demand is not the problem

Asked whether travellers had lost confidence in Dubai, Griffiths pointed to prices: “High airfares are the arbiter between shortage of supply and a huge amount of demand.” Emirates and flydubai are operating with load factors in the 90s, and their customer satisfaction scores have risen rather than fallen. Air France has already returned to DXB with strong loads, and more European and US carriers are expected back for the winter schedule that starts in late October.

The constraint, in his view, sits outside the airport. Several foreign governments still keep travel advisories that were written during the conflict and have been slow to update them; that in turn limits travel insurance for some passengers and corporate travel policies for some companies. Before the conflict about 90 airlines flew to DXB; 56 do today, so the remaining gap is mostly capacity that has not yet been re-added, not empty seats.

Dubai’s position in the regional transfer market has not changed. Close to 100 million passengers a year transit through Middle East hubs, and DXB carries about 45% of that flow. Emirates alone was the world’s largest airline by international seat capacity in August 2026, as we described in our review of the OAG ranking, and DXB itself topped the July 2026 ranking of airports by international seats, see our note on the July data.

Where the 100 million target came from and how it moved

The 100 million figure is not new. In October 2025, at the Dubai Airshow press conference, Griffiths said DXB would cross 100 million passengers “over the next 18 months”, which implied that the milestone would fall in 2027. Dubai Airports also projected 114-115 million passengers by 2031 and 124 million at the point of the planned move to Al Maktoum International (DWC) in 2032. The conflict in the first half of 2026 pushed that timeline back by roughly a year: the new 18-month window starts in August 2026 and ends in early 2028.

The airport’s long-term plan has not changed. DXB is expected to hit its physical capacity around 2032, which is when the first phase of DWC opens. Construction at DWC continues: at the same briefing Griffiths confirmed that AED 55 billion of new contracts will be awarded before the end of 2026, on top of AED 13 billion already under way, as we reported in our article on the DWC contract pipeline. Dubai’s vertiport network for air taxis is also physically complete; the launch date depends on safety certification and could fall in the third or fourth quarter.

What this means for companies in Dubai

For businesses the airport statistics are a proxy for the whole economy of the emirate: tourism, hospitality, retail, logistics and, indirectly, the flow of investors and employees. A few practical points follow from the briefing.

• Air connectivity is close to full restoration. With 236 cities served and new routes weekly, the schedule that companies rely on for clients, staff and suppliers is largely back. The winter season from late October is expected to bring more European and US frequencies.
• Fares stay high for now. Griffiths’ own explanation, demand above supply, means corporate travel budgets should assume elevated ticket prices at least until more carriers restore capacity.
• Travel advisories matter for hiring and relocation. Candidates from countries whose governments still keep cautious advisories may face insurance and employer policy questions; it is worth checking the current wording of the relevant advisory before scheduling interviews or relocation and building it into work visa and residency timelines.
• The hub economy is intact. A 45% share of the Middle East transfer market and a 50/50 transit mix are the reasons airlines return quickly: DXB is where their networks connect. The same logic applies to companies that use Dubai as a regional base.
• The DWC timeline stands. Businesses in Dubai South, logistics operators and anyone planning long-term facilities near either airport can keep 2032 as the planning horizon.

How Atlant Capital can help

Atlant Capital helps founders and companies from the CIS and beyond set up and run businesses in the UAE. If the recovery of Dubai’s air hub is part of your decision to enter the market, we can take the paperwork off your desk: company formation in a free zone or on the mainland, licences for travel, logistics and aviation-related activities, work visas and residency for you and your team, and corporate bank accounts. We work with real timelines and real fees, not promises.

Conclusion

Dubai Airports’ message on 2026-08-26 is a set of numbers rather than a slogan: 95.2 million passengers in 2025, a 31.3% drop in the first half of 2026, about 80% of normal traffic and 86% of capacity today, “low 70 millions” by the end of the year and 100 million within 18 months. The airport expects to be back at number one among international hubs before 2026 ends. For businesses in the UAE the practical reading is that connectivity is nearly restored, fares are the price of that demand, and the long-term airport plan, including DWC in 2032, is unchanged.

FAQ

When will Dubai International Airport reach 100 million passengers a year?

Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths said on 2026-08-26 that DXB will reach 100 million passengers a year within about 18 months, which points to early 2028. The original target, announced in October 2025, was to cross the mark in 2027; the first-half 2026 disruption pushed it back by roughly a year. DXB handled 95.2 million passengers in 2025 and is expected to finish 2026 in “the low 70 millions”.

How much did DXB passenger traffic fall in the first half of 2026?

Passenger traffic at DXB fell 31.3% year on year to 31.5 million in January to June 2026, according to Dubai Airports. The second quarter alone was down 42%, with 13 million passengers against 22.5 million in Q2 2025. Traffic recovered month by month: 3.5 million in April, 4.5 million in May and 5 million in June. Aircraft movements fell 32.1% to 150,600 and cargo 28.7% to 751,340 tonnes.

Is DXB still the world’s busiest international airport?

Not in the first half of 2026. After nearly 12 years at number one, DXB slipped to second place among international hubs during the disruption. Paul Griffiths said on 2026-08-26 that the airport expects to regain first place by the end of 2026, as traffic is already back to about 80% of pre-disruption levels and capacity to 86%, with 56 airlines serving 236 cities in 100 countries.

Why are airfares to Dubai so high in 2026?

According to Paul Griffiths, high fares reflect demand that exceeds available seats: Emirates and flydubai are flying with load factors in the 90s, while only 56 of the roughly 90 airlines that served DXB before the conflict have returned so far. More European and US carriers are expected back with the winter schedule from late October 2026, which should add capacity.