Dubai airports are operating near full capacity despite US-Iran tensions: CEO

Dubai: Dubai airports are operating normally and close to full capacity despite renewed hostilities between the US and Iran, reassured Chief Executive Officer Paul Griffiths.

“We’re operating at pretty much full capacity,” Griffiths told Bloomberg on the sidelines of the Farnborough International Airshow. Passenger traffic remained strong as international airlines continued to restore services to Dubai, he added.

The comments underline the recovery in operations at DXB after regional airspace restrictions disrupted flight schedules earlier this year. The UAE has since lifted its precautionary airspace restrictions, allowing Dubai Airports and airlines to progressively increase flight movements.

DXB also entered July expecting one of its busiest summer travel periods. Dubai Airports forecast about 3 million passengers through the airport during the first half of the month, with daily traffic regularly exceeding 200,000. Transfer passengers were expected to account for about half of the total.

Since the regional crisis began, Dubai airports have handled more than 6 million passengers, noted Griffiths, underscoring the resilience of Dubai's aviation infrastructure during a period of heightened geopolitical uncertainty.

While international airline operations are increasing, some major European carriers have yet to restore Dubai services, said Griffiths, citing overseas government travel advisories covering the region and difficulties obtaining operational insurance.

“They are having difficulty getting insurance for operations,” he told Bloomberg, but further clarified that they do not reflect the operating status of Dubai International, which remained “completely normal”.

Griffiths said around 50 international airlines were currently operating at Dubai International Airport, roughly half the normal number. However, he added that additional capacity provided by Emirates had helped offset much of the shortfall.

While most foreign carriers had begun gradually resuming services, the delayed return of some major European airlines, including British Airways and Air France, was linked to government guidance and insurance requirements for flights to the region rather than operational issues at Dubai Airport, explained Griffiths.

Airlines have also been using alternative flight paths to avoid affected airspace. “Routes through Saudi Arabian airspace and southern corridors have helped carriers maintain connections through Dubai while restrictions remain on some northern routes,” he said in the interview.

Emirates is operating closer to 90% of its regular schedule, Griffiths added, while passenger traffic at the airport had remained "busy as usual" in recent days. The additional capacity provided by Dubai’s home carrier has helped offset the slower return of some foreign airlines, he noted.

DXB handled 18.6 million passengers in the first quarter of 2026, while March passenger traffic stood at 2.5 million. India remained the airport’s largest country market during the quarter with 2.5 million passengers. Saudi Arabia followed with 1.3 million, the UK with 1.2 million and Pakistan with 918,000.

The latest recovery follows a record 2025, when DXB handled 95.2 million passengers, up 3.1% from the previous year. It was the highest annual international passenger traffic recorded by an airport, according to Dubai Airports.

DXB ended 2025 connected to 291 destinations across 110 countries through 108 international airlines. Dubai Airports had forecast passenger traffic approaching 99.5 million in 2026 before the regional conflict disrupted travel patterns and airspace capacity.