Emirates warns passengers to arrive early at Dubai International Airport during busy weekend

The busiest time will be on Friday, according to the Dubai airline

More than 800,000 people are expected to fly out of Dubai International Airport next week. AP Photo

The spring holiday is upon us, and that means an opportunity for many UAE residents to head overseas.

With schools across the Emirates ending their second term of the year on Thursday, thousands of travellers will be heading to airports during the weekend.

Emirates is subsequently warning passengers to arrive at Dubai International Airport at least three hours before their flight departure to avoid any delays.

Emirates said it is expecting the busiest time for Terminal 3 to be on Friday, with 42,000 passengers travelling abroad.

"Peak travel is expected to continue until Tuesday, April 2, 2019 with more than 205,000 Emirates passengers travelling from Dubai to destinations beyond. During this time, Emirates will also be welcoming more than 160,000 passengers to and through Dubai," the airline said.

The busy weekend comes on the back of a period of unsettled weather across the country, so driving conditions to the airport may need to be factored in, plus there are roadworks continuing to cause delays in the area.

Emirates added that customers who check in fewer than 60 minutes prior to their scheduled flight departure will not be accepted for travel.

Gates open 90 minutes before departure, boarding starts 45 minutes before each flight and gates close 20 minutes before departure.