Dubai International records busiest month in its 65-year history

Dubai International Airport recorded its busiest month on record in December, closing 2025 at unprecedented levels and carrying that momentum into the new year.

Paul Griffiths, chief executive of Dubai Airports, said the airport handled about 8.8 million passengers in December, up from 8.3 million a year earlier, marking the highest monthly total ever recorded at Dubai International Airport.

In a post on LinkedIn, Griffiths said the milestone capped a record-breaking year and pointed to continued momentum into the new one. “Dubai International continues to break records as we begin 2026,” he wrote.

The surge intensified in early January. On January 3, the airport processed 324,000 passengers, the highest single-day figure in its history, followed by 322,000 travellers on January 4, another near-record performance.

Griffiths described demand during the current peak season as “exceptional,” praising the airport’s ability to manage sustained volumes at that scale. He said operating at such levels reflected the strength and resilience of Dubai Airports’ operating model and the readiness of its teams, whose planning and preparation enabled the system to absorb sharp spikes in traffic.

Running the world’s largest international airport, he added, depends on close coordination across the aviation ecosystem.

Griffiths highlighted the role of the oneDXB partnership framework, which brings together airlines, service providers and government entities, and said the benefits of that collaboration are most visible during peak periods.

“These busy days allow us to see planning, preparation and teamwork come together,” he said, noting that coordinated efforts across the airport help maintain smooth passenger flows despite heavy demand.

Looking ahead, Griffiths said high volumes were expected to continue in the coming days, with daily passenger numbers remaining above 300,000 through the following week. Between January 1 and January 11, the airport is forecast to welcome around 3.4 million passengers.

He said 2026 promises further growth and new milestones, as Dubai International builds on its role as a central hub for global travel and connectivity.