For the 12th consecutive year, Dubai International Airport is the world's largest aviation hub.

Dubai International Airport 

For the 12th consecutive year, Dubai International Airport is the world's largest aviation hub.

Dubai International Airport maintained its position as the world's largest airport for international passenger traffic in 2025, for the 12th consecutive year, after continuing to record strong growth rates in international travel throughout the past year, according to the Airports Council International's annual report.

Dubai International Airport welcomed 95.2 million passengers during 2025, a growth of 3.1% compared to the previous year, making it the busiest year in the airport's history.

The Airports Council International report noted the strong and significant performance of Dubai International Airport during 2025, compared to 2019 levels before the “Corona” pandemic, indicating that the growth rate in passenger traffic at “Dubai International” during the past year reached 10.2%, compared to 2019 levels.

Airport rankings

The annual report, which monitors the performance of the world’s largest airports, showed that Dubai International Airport ranked first in terms of the number of international passengers, by a significant margin of about 15.5 million passengers, compared to its counterpart, London Heathrow, which ranked second, after the British airport dealt with 79.8 million passengers in 2025, followed by South Korea’s Incheon Airport with about 73.5 million passengers.

Singapore International Airport came in fourth place with approximately 69.4 million passengers, and Amsterdam Airport in the Netherlands with 67.8 million passengers.

International and domestic travelers

In the overall passenger traffic index (international and domestic), Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport maintained its lead, recording 106 million passengers, followed by Dubai International Airport, which continued to narrow the gap in its favor, recording growth of 3.1%, compared to a decline of 1.6% for its American counterpart.

Tokyo Airport came in third place with 91.6 million passengers, followed by Dallas Fort Worth and Shanghai Airport in fourth and fifth place with approximately 85.6 and 84.9 million passengers each.

Airports Council International Director General Justin Erbachy said: "We congratulate the world's busiest airportsFor the 12th consecutive year, Dubai International Airport is the world's largest aviation hub. on managing the growing demand for air travel amid increasing operational complexities."

He added: “These vital hubs keep people and goods in constant motion, supporting global trade, tourism and economic growth in their communities and regions. To keep up with rising demand, governments must prioritize sustainable investment in airports and the aviation ecosystem in general.”

First place

Globally, the Airports Council International revealed that the number of “international passengers” in 2025 reached about four billion passengers, an increase of 5.9% compared to 2024, and an increase of 8.3% compared to 2019, while the top 10 airports in terms of international passenger traffic represent about 17% of the total number, confirming that Dubai International Airport maintained its first place on the list.

It is worth noting that Dubai International Airport overtook its counterpart, London Heathrow, for first place in international passenger numbers during 2014, for the first time in history, after the British airport had held the top spot since the start of commercial air transport activity in the world.

9.8 billion global travelers

Airports Council International (ACI) reported that the total number of global passengers (international and domestic) in 2025 is estimated at 9.8 billion passengers, an increase of 3.6% compared to 2024, or an increase of 7.3% compared to the results of 2019.

He added: “The top 10 airports in terms of passenger traffic represent about 9% of total global passenger traffic,” noting that the top 10 list includes four airports in the United States, reflecting the strength of the market there, where the percentage of domestic passengers ranges between 80 and 95%