Since the situation began on February 28 and intensified through March, Dubai’s airports remained operational despite constraints, supporting the safe movement of 6 million guests, over 32,000 aircraft movements, and 213,000 tonnes of essential cargo as of April 30.
Operations at DXB were maintained under continuously changing conditions, with schedules, passenger flows and ground handling aligned to available airspace. Coordinated decision-making across the airport ecosystem enabled the airport to sustain safe and consistent service continuity, despite severe constraints.
Following the lifting of all precautionary restrictions on UAE airspace, Dubai Airports has entered the next phase of recovery operations, ramping up daily fight movements and enabling airlines to progressively restore schedules. Capacity is now primarily aligned to the availability of regional flight paths outside of the UAE, with ongoing coordination to optimise flows across neighbouring airspace.
This was supported by close collaboration across the oneDXB community, including international airlines led by home base carriers Emirates and flydubai, service partners and control authorities. Working in alignment, the airport community ensured the ongoing movement of passengers and cargo, while enabling a rapid and coordinated increase in operations as capacity became available.
Dubai’s role as a global hub is closely linked to the international transfer market. Of the 99.3 million transferring passengers whose journeys could route through the Middle East, the region captures around 70 percent, with DXB handling 32 percent of that traffic. As conditions stabilise, this segment is expected to recover quickly, supported by demand that cannot be readily absorbed elsewhere.
DXB’s performance through this period reflects the readiness and adaptability of Dubai’s aviation sector to respond as traffic returns. The airport remains focused on maintaining safe and stable operations while aligning capacity with prevailing conditions and supporting airlines and guests through a period of continued adjustment.
Looking ahead, Dubai Airports’ outlook for the year remains underpinned by strong underlying demand. As airspace capacity continues to improve, DXB is actively increasing flight movements and working with airline and airspace partners to unlock additional capacity across the network. The airport is well positioned to accommodate further growth in the months ahead. At the same time, long-term expansion plans at Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC) continue to progress, supporting Dubai’s future growth as a global aviation hub.
