Dubai International Airport (DXB) registered a steep drop in passenger traffic during the first half of 2026 with 31.5 million travelers passing through its gates – a 31.3% decrease from the same period last year, figures from Dubai Airports show.
The number of passengers processed at the airport was around 46 million in the same period in 2025. Traffic picked up in the second quarter rising to 4.5 million passengers in May and a peak of 5 million in June.
Conflict Disrupts Gulf Air Travel
The fall-off comes after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February and Iranian drone and missile attacks on the UAE and other Gulf states. Enhanced security precautions and flight cancellations and higher jet fuel prices added to the challenges for airlines operating in the region.
Dubai Airports said the first half of the year was one of the most challenging for DXB as regional airspace restrictions impacted both passenger numbers and airline capacity.
Flights reduced by 32.1% to 150,600 and cargo volumes fell 28.7% to 751,340 tons. Baggage handling fell 28% to 30.3 million bags.
Passenger Traffic Shows Signs of Recovery
Despite the steep first-half fall-off DXB saw improvement in passenger traffic in the second quarter as flights and international connections resumed.
Nearly 50 international airlines serve the airport connecting it to 217 destinations in 99 countries by the end of June. Airline load factors were also nearing 2025 levels, Dubai Airports said.
Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths said the disruption had been a test of the region’s aviation system with passenger demand recovering quickly as airline capacity returned to DXB, which is heavily reliant on international transfer traffic.
Some Middle Eastern carriers have begun restoring services with Emirates operating at around 90% of its previous capacity. However, several major international airlines, including Lufthansa, British Airways and Singapore Airlines remained cautious and maintained some route suspensions in the region.
