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Home News UAE Airports Handle 1.13 Billion Passengers Over Ten Years

UAE Airports See Over 1.13 Billion Passengers in a Decade

Aug 11, 2026
49 min
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Aug 11, 2026 16:32
UAE airports handle more than 1.13 billion passengers in ten years

## Record Passenger Numbers

UAE airports, including those in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah, have collectively handled more than 1.13 billion passengers from 2016 to 2025. This impressive figure underscores the country's status as a major global aviation hub.

## Dubai Leads the Way

Dubai International Airport was the busiest, managing over 804 million passengers, which accounts for 71.2% of the total traffic. Abu Dhabi and Sharjah airports followed, with 210.8 million and 110.1 million passengers, respectively.

## Growth in Aircraft Movements

The decade also saw a significant rise in aircraft movements, with over 6.16 million flights recorded. Dubai again led with around four million flights, representing 64.9% of the national total.

## Post-Pandemic Recovery

The aviation sector has shown a strong recovery post-pandemic. In 2025 alone, passenger numbers increased by 6.1% compared to the previous year, while aircraft movements rose by 7.4%. Compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019, passenger traffic in 2025 was up by 22.6%, and aircraft movements increased by 34.2%.

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