Dubai International Airport sees 70.1 million passengers so far this year as it plans new airport

Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest for international travel, has had 70.1 million passengers already this year and is on track to break its own records again, officials said Wednesday.

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A BOEING 777X performs during the Dubai Air Show in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)

(AP Photo Fatima Shbair)

The rapid growth of passengers at the airport underscores Dubai as a key hub for East-West travel in global aviation and the need for its $35 billion project to build a massive, five-runway airport at Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central.

"The most exciting thing is having created the world's largest international airport for the last 11 years," Paul Griffiths, the CEO of Dubai Airports, told The Associated Press. "We are now going to do it all over again, and I think that doesn't happen in many people's lifetimes."

The city-state's second airport is now hosting the biennial Dubai Air Show, which already has seen major aircraft orders by both the long-haul carrier Emirates and its lower-cost sister airline FlyDubai.