Changing the dates of the spring school holiday in the UAE has helped to manage travel demand while airlines have reduced capacity, the chief executive of Dubai Airports has said.
The decision was made for schools and universities to begin the break on March 9, one week earlier than expected, after remote learning was introduced following Iranian missile and drone strikes on the country.
That has helped Dubai International Airport (DXB) prepare for the Eid Al Fitr holiday, and chief executive Paul Griffiths predicts normal service on arrival at the airport despite the Iranian attacks.
“The government's decision to change the school break was very helpful,” he told Dubai Eye radio on Wednesday.
“It spread the load, and I think a lot of people have probably brought forward some of their Eid holiday arrangements, so we are coping well.
“If you look at the departure schedule over the next few days, we don't anticipate any difficulty. We're reducing capacity through necessity because of the limited air corridors that are available.”
Flights are resuming to around 40 per cent of full capacity, so people planning trips away over the long weekend can expect a smooth journey through the airport, Mr Griffiths added.
Arrivals and departures are operating to the south in safe air corridors over Omani airspace.
Around 153 destinations are being served, with 5,700 flight movements between March 2 and March 16, Mr Griffiths said.
Fewer passengers
The number of passengers passing through DXB, the world’s busiest airport for international traffic, this year is likely to be lower than 2025's record 95.2 million. Dubai Airports had forecast that 99.5 million people would use the hub in 2026.
The airport has faced severe disruption since the outbreak of war on February 28 and Iranian air strikes have forced intermittent closures of UAE airspace. Operations were temporarily suspended on March 7 following missile warnings.
Mr Griffiths said the airport would recover and staff were preparing for a busy weekend.
“The messaging to customers is to check with their airlines, make sure that they're understanding exactly what the schedules are,” he said. “People are turning up at the airport as per normal, and we're anticipating a sense of calm at the airport.
“People are genuinely taking the situation on board, behaving as they should, and our staff are there to reassure people. We very much hope it will be the greatest compliment if people say: 'Well, I went through the airport and the situation was perfectly normal as ever.'
“We've got the duty and care of all of our customers and staff right in our hearts. We will continue to make sure that the aviation industry here in Dubai continues to be the greatest in the world, both now and in the future.”
