Dubai tops global airport rankings again with record international seat capacity

Dubai: Dubai International Airport retained its position as the world’s busiest airport in February, after airlines scheduled nearly 4.9 million seats on international flights during the month, according to new data released by OAG, the global aviation analytics firm.

That figure, equivalent to about 9.8 million seats in both directions, kept Dubai firmly at the top of global airport rankings, with international seat capacity rising by 2% compared with February last year.

OAG said the airport’s performance underscored its continued dominance in international air travel, even as global aviation markets adjusted to shifting demand patterns.

The February results extended a run of record-setting months for Dubai International, which has consistently increased capacity since last year. 

The airport reached a summer peak in 2025, followed by another record in December, when passenger numbers hit their highest monthly level in the airport’s 65-year history.

In the first two months of 2026 alone, airlines scheduled around 10.4 million international seats through Dubai, about 20.8 million in both directions, reflecting sustained growth in operations as carriers expanded services to meet strong early-year demand.

The increase follows robust international traffic performance throughout the first nine months of 2025.

When international and domestic flights are combined, Dubai International again ranked first globally in February. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport came second with about 4.6 million seats, followed by Shanghai Pudong with 4.2 million. Tokyo Haneda ranked fourth with roughly 4.18 million seats, while Guangzhou Baiyun rounded out the top five with about 4.16 million.

Dubai also led the world in international-only capacity. London Heathrow ranked second with about 3.6 million international seats, followed by Seoul with 3.5 million, Singapore with 3.4 million and Hong Kong with 3.2 million.

The capacity figures mirror the airport’s strong passenger performance. In the third quarter of 2025, Dubai International handled 24.2 million passengers between July and September, a 1.9% increase over the same period in 2024. That pushed total passenger traffic for the first nine months of the year to 70.1 million, up 2.1% year on year.

December 2025 marked another milestone, with 8.8 million passengers passing through the airport, surpassing the previous monthly record of 8.3 million set a year earlier.

Preliminary indicators suggest Dubai International is on track to retain its status as the world’s largest airport for international passengers in 2025, a title it has held for 12 consecutive years. Dubai Airports is expected to release full passenger figures for last year in the coming days.