'Dubai won't lose the crown': Airport chief vows it will remain world's busiest

Dubai International Airport (DXB) expects to retain its position as the world's busiest this year, despite a 42 per cent drop in second-quarter passenger traffic as the Iran war disrupted travel.

Passenger volumes are expected to recover strongly in the second half, as more international airlines resume services by the end of October, Emirates and flydubai restore their route networks and Gulf hubs remain an “important force” in global transit traffic, Dubai Airports boss Paul Griffiths said in an interview on Wednesday.

DXB handled 13 million passengers in the April to June period, down from 22.5 million in the same period last year, it said.

Middle East flights: Which airlines are flying and which remain suspended?

The figures dragged first-half passenger traffic down to 31.5 million, a 31.3 per cent year-on-year decline, even as volumes rose in May and June.

“You can't take the first six months as an indicator of long-term strength,” Mr Griffiths said. “Our network, our position in the globe and our importance in global air traffic means that, no doubt, we'll close this year still as number one.”

DXB has retained its position as the world's busiest international hub for passengers for 12 consecutive years and is determined to hold on to the top spot despite war-related disruption, as capacity returns and investment continues.

“We've been 12 years as No 1 and I'm not going to lose that crown to anyone else,” Mr Griffiths said.

The airport is forecast to handle about 70 million passengers by the end of this year, down from 95.2 million last year, and has delayed its milestone target of 100 million passengers by a year to 2027, Mr Griffiths said.

Still, he struck a confident tone on the recovery during the third and fourth quarters of 2026, as more foreign airlines restore flights to the Middle East when the winter schedule starts at the end of October, while Emirates and flydubai restore around 90 per cent of their networks.

The airport has bounced back to about 86 per cent of its capacity. “Every week, the gap between this year and last year gets smaller and smaller,” he said.

“I'm pretty confident by the end of Q3 we'll have a full schedule, have all the airlines back and I'm hopeful we'll get to that magic number we've been chasing for a few years of 100 million, within maybe 18 months.”

The airport is now served by 56 airlines, he said, down from about 90 before the war. Majors such as Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines have remained cautious, extending flight suspensions on some routes to the region and redeploying that capacity elsewhere.

“Every single week we get another few red dots on the map and more routes,” Mr Griffiths said. “The only thing I need for the cherry on top of my cake is for the European and US airlines to start flying again … I'm sure they'll be back for the winter from the end of October. So we're looking forward to that.”

Mr Griffiths is also in talks with “major international airlines” to start services to DXB and Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), particularly as the Airbus A321 XLR narrow-body aircraft with longer range makes it more economical for airlines to serve cities that were previously not viable with wide-bodies.

Asked if Dubai had lost market share to transfer hubs connecting Europe and Asia while local airlines slashed capacity during the early days of the war, he said more passengers travelled to different destinations temporarily but “once they've been deeply disappointed with the quality of the experience of both their journey and at the destination, they'll be back, I'm sure”.

Mr Griffiths dismissed the idea of weaker traveller confidence in flying into the region as the conflict continues, insisting the Middle East remains a vital global transit hub.

“Close to 100 million people transit through the hubs in the Middle East, so we're such an important force in global aviation. The world cannot do without us,” he said, with DXB alone taking a 45 per cent share of that 100 million transfer market.

“I don't think we have any problem with traveller confidence at all. Every time airlines announce the return of a route, those load factors are immediately strong,” he said.

The issue is that some foreign governments are “incredibly cautious” and have been too slow to lift travel advisories warning their citizens against flying to the region, which do not reflect the safety and stability in countries such as the UAE, he said. Another challenge is for airlines to obtain insurance to operate into the region. Airlines and travellers are confident about flying to the region but “government advisories are lagging behind the true situation”, he said.

“I really do think we're just facing the lag and the hangover of decisions made earlier in the season, when obviously the conflict was at its height, and now we're in a situation where most people, if they could, they'd be back at 100 per cent. High air fares are a result of robust consumer confidence and demand to travel to the region, even as capacity is reduced due to suspensions by some European and US airlines,” he said.

Asked if DXB would offer a package of incentives to attract airlines back to the hub, Mr Griffiths said the move is not necessary. “The winter season will see a natural recovery because the market is demanding it.”

DXB's current passenger mix this summer is split evenly between transit travellers and point-to-point flyers whose journeys end in Dubai, a ratio that has not changed significantly due to the war.

“Maybe the tourism numbers are slightly down, but people are still coming to and from here in the millions every month that they always did,” he said, suggesting that tourist figures will increase in the fourth quarter during the traditionally peak season in UAE winter.

India, Saudi Arabia and the UK have remained the major source markets for DXB, with Riyadh Air starting operations to the emirate.

“We are going to be on a fairly steady upwards trajectory for the next few months, and I hope that next year the traffic numbers will be similarly audacious as they have been in previous years,” he said.

Mr Griffiths declined to specify the amount of lost revenue during the six months of the war but said the airport would continue to be cash-positive. The airport had quickly repaired damage from intercepted drones in its vicinity within 30 days of Iranian attacks, he said, underscoring the hub's commitment to safe and continued operations.

Asked if DXB would change strategy or direction due to the war, he said this was the subject of the shortest conversation with the airport chairman, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed, during the crisis. “He said to me, 'No', and that was it. Conversation closed. No change. Keep calm and carry on.”