Dubai International Airport (DXB) welcomed 18.6 million guests in Q1 2026, down 20.6 per cent year on year.
The decline was most pronounced in March, when passenger traffic fell to 2.5 million – a 65.7 per cent drop compared to the same month in 2025 – due to temporary regional airspace closures.
The disruption began on February 28 and intensified through March before UAE airspace was fully restored.
UAE airspace restored: Dubai Airport begins recovery after months of disruption
Despite the constraints, the airport maintained operations throughout the period, recording over 32,000 aircraft movements, the movement of 6 million guests, and the handling of 213,000 tonnes of cargo by April 30.
Dubai International is a hub for international transfer traffic, handling 32 per cent of the Middle East’s share of transfer passengers. Of the 99.3 million transferring passengers whose journeys could route through the region, the Middle East captures around 70 per cent, with DXB accounting for 22.4 million annual passenger journeys – one third of the region’s transfer traffic.
“The extraordinary events of the past few weeks are unprecedented for any major airport hub such as DXB. International transfer traffic through the Middle East region accounts for a major share of the global air travel market, with 22.4 million annual passenger journeys flowing through DXB, representing one third of the transfer traffic across the region’s hubs. Maintaining the smooth operation of DXB is therefore critical to keep global journeys moving. Our focus has been on keeping operations safe and consistent for our customers through close coordination and rapid decision-making across the entire airport community and beyond, while ensuring the system remains ready to respond swiftly as conditions improve,” Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports said in a statement.
Dubai Airports said schedules, passenger flows and ground handling were continuously realigned to available airspace throughout the disruption.
The airport worked with home carriers Emirates and flydubai, alongside service partners and control authorities, under what it described as the oneDXB community framework.
“Our collective response to these challenges has sharpened our ability to adapt at pace. That readiness will enable us to accommodate returning demand as capacity is restored, reinforcing DXB’s role as a leading global hub, even as some regional routing constraints remain,” Griffiths added.
Following the lifting of all precautionary restrictions on UAE airspace, Dubai Airports said it had entered a recovery phase, increasing daily flight movements and working with airlines to restore schedules.
India remains Dubai Airport’s top country market despite Q1 2026 disruption
The airport noted that capacity remained tied to the availability of regional flight paths outside the UAE, with coordination continuing across neighbouring airspace.
India remained DXB’s largest country market in Q1 2026 with 2.5 million guests. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia followed at 1.3 million, the United Kingdom at 1.2 million, and Pakistan at 918,000.
London was the busiest city destination, recording 752,000 guests, followed by Mumbai at 520,000 and Jeddah at 505,000.
Cargo volumes reached 399,600 tonnes in Q1, a fall of 22.7 per cent year on year, with 66,000 tonnes handled in March alone. Aircraft movements totalled 88,000 for the quarter, down 20.8 per cent on the same period last year.
DXB processed 17.6 million bags in Q1 2026, including 2.6 million in March. The mishandled baggage rate rose to 3.5 per 1,000 passengers, compared with 1.95 per 1,000 passengers in the same period last year. The airport noted that the global industry benchmark currently stands at approximately 6.3 mishandled bags per 1,000 passengers.
Dubai Airports confirmed that long-term expansion plans at Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC) continue to progress, intended to support Dubai’s future position as a hub for global aviation.
