Dubai passenger record drives expansion of new Al Maktoum five-runway airport

As Dubai International Airport sees its previous passenger number records shattered, the urgency of a $35 billion five-runway expansion at Al Maktoum International Airport is once again being underlined.

Between September 2024 and September 2025, Dubai International Airport welcomed an overwhelming 93.8 million travellers – more than the previous record of a year earlier, which saw 92.3 million travellers overall. It thereby confirms its role as the world’s busiest airport for international travel, and officials take the opportunity to once again underline the importance of the planned $35 billion expansion at Al Maktoum International Airport.

“These record-breaking results reflect the continued strength of Dubai’s aviation and tourism sectors. Yet, it also reinforces the importance of what comes next. The vision for DWC goes beyond capacity expansion – it represents the reimagining and evolution of the entire travel experience”, said Paul Griffiths, the CEO of Dubai Airports.

An expansion allowing for growth

Located at some 45 kilometres from Dubai International Airport, Al Maktoum International Airport, aka Dubai World Central, has been operating since 2010. At the moment, its passenger numbers come nowhere near those of Dubai International Airport, but a planned expansion might change that situation soon.

In early 2024, it was announced that Al Maktoum would be undergoing a vast expansion, approved by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum. The project is scheduled to cost $35 billion, and once completed, it will make Dubai World Central the largest in the world. With roughly five times the size of Dubai International Airport, with five parallel runways and some 400 aircraft gates,  it should reach a maximum capacity of 260 million passengers and 12 million tonnes of cargo per year. Aside from its vast capacity, Dubai World Central is scheduled to become an innovative project, which would reportedly change the entire passenger experience.

Introducing our future home – Al Maktoum International Airport.

At five times the size of @DXB, Al Maktoum International Airport will be able to accommodate 260 million passengers per year, with five parallel runways and 400 aircraft gates.

Thanks to the visionary leadership of… pic.twitter.com/alW2PkoNk4

— Emirates (@emirates) April 28, 2024

At the moment of writing, Al Maktoum International Airport is hosting the Dubai Air Show. Several airlines have already put in big orders, with Emirates buying eight Airbus A350-900 aircraft as well as 65 Boeing 777-9s and FlyDubai ordering 75 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft as well as 150 Airbus A321neo aircraft.

“Looking ahead, proactive fleet planning is essential to ensuring we are well-placed to meet the rising demand for travel, a demand we are confident will continue to grow. Anticipating future needs is a defining factor in the success of any airline and today’s announcement reflects our commitment to that principle”, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of FlyDubai and Emirates, said in a statement.

With those purchases, the state-owned airlines will be able to plan a major expansion of their routes, especially once they’ve moved to Al Maktoum – which is likely to happen in 2032, when the first phase of the expansion is scheduled to finish.