Dubai International Airport Sees Strongest Passenger Traffic Since 2020

Dubai International Airport (DXB) is buzzing again! The world’s busiest international airport has reported its most active quarter since the start of 2020, welcoming an impressive 13.6 million travelers in Q1 of 2022. This marks the second consecutive quarter that DXB has seen over 10 million passengers pass through its gates — a strong sign that global travel is bouncing back.

March alone contributed 5.5 million passengers, boosting the quarterly total and showing a 15.7% increase from the 11.8 million recorded in the previous quarter (Q4 2021). For comparison, DXB saw just 5.7 million travelers in the same period last year, highlighting just how far travel recovery has come.

Currently, Dubai International connects travelers to 193 destinations in 92 countries via 73 scheduled international airlines — making it one of the most well-connected airports globally.

While passenger numbers are up, airfreight saw a slight dip. DXB handled around 519,555 tons of cargo in Q1 2022, down from 614,834 tons in Q4 2021. However, flight activity remains strong with 81,966 aircraft movements recorded during the first quarter — a 5.8% increase compared to the previous quarter.

With numbers like these, it’s clear that Dubai is regaining its place as a top global travel hub.