Dubai Airport to hit 100 million passengers in just 18 months, DXB CEO confirms

Dubai: Dubai International Airport will smash through the 100 million passenger threshold in the next 18 months, CEO Paul Griffiths has revealed.

The timeline was revealed at a press conference ahead of the Dubai Air Show 2025. “Over the next 18 months, DXB alone expects to cross the amazing 100 million passenger market, which will be an amazing event, and we're very proud to be the global hub of choice for so many people," Griffiths said.

The 18-month target underscores the breakneck pace of Dubai's aviation expansion, with growth in the UAE "continues to break all records", according to Griffiths.

This milestone will place Dubai International firmly amongst the world's elite airports, with the 100 million passenger mark representing a level of traffic that only a handful of aviation hubs globally can match.

The announcement comes as the region experiences unprecedented demand, driven by Dubai's position as a connecting point between East and West and its reputation as a global tourism and business destination.

Aviation boom in Dubai

Whilst global passenger traffic is projected to reach 9.8 billion people in 2025—a 3.7 per cent increase over last year—Dubai's growth trajectory significantly outpaces the global average.

Griffiths, who has led Dubai Airports for more than 18 years, emphasised that the $4 trillion aviation industry serves as "the lifeblood of global tourism" and "human connectivity".

"It brings us together in good times and bad times. It basically makes us a global village," he said.

The milestone announcement from the aviation veteran comes as Griffiths previewed the Dubai Air Show 2025, set to launch this November under the theme "the future is here".

The event, which Griffiths described as having evolved into "the world's premier aviation event" since he first witnessed it in 2007, will feature cutting-edge developments in sustainability, artificial intelligence, and advanced mobility.

"When I arrived more than 18 years ago, it was about the time of the Dubai airshow in 2007 and quite honestly, I thought I'd started to see the eighth wonder of the world," Griffiths recalled.