Dubai Airports' chief executive Paul Griffiths said the emirate's aviation sector is experiencing a "trampoline bounce" effect, as the growth in recent months demonstrates.
Speaking at the second session of the Government of Dubai Media Office's International Media Briefing series, Mr Griffiths cited recent passenger numbers for Dubai International Airport (DXB) as evidence of how strong demand for the emirate remains, despite the disruption from the Iran war, both as a destination in its own right and as an international connecting hub.
He said DXB welcomed 31.5 million guests in the first half of 2026 alone, with traffic continuing to strengthen through the year. Monthly passenger traffic reached five million in June and rose further to 6.3 million in July, a 26 per cent increase in a single month.
Mr Griffiths described the surge as a clear sign of the "trampoline bounce" effect, with momentum potentially pushing traffic even higher than before.
Current airline capacity has climbed to 84 per cent of previous levels, while passenger volumes have reached 78 per cent. He noted that some carriers have yet to restart operations because of the ongoing regional conflict caused by the US-Iran war. However, most airlines are likely to resume by the beginning of the next winter season, which should further support growth.
DXB is expected to welcome around 70 million passengers in 2026, and Mr Griffiths reiterated that the airport is on track to reach 100 million annual passengers by the end of 2027.
Strength of Dubai's aviation model
Mr Griffiths also emphasised the strong link between Dubai's economic growth and its global connectivity, with aviation supporting tourism, trade, and investment. Meanwhile, the city's expansion increases the demand for air travel.
He pointed out that the balance between transfer and point-to-point passengers remains broadly even, reflecting the strength of both Dubai’s connecting and direct traffic.
DWC plans move full speed ahead
Mr Griffiths confirmed that development of Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) is moving "full speed ahead". The first major phase is on track to come on stream in the early 2030s. That first phase will add capacity for 150 million passengers annually, allowing Dubai to expand beyond DXB's maximum capacity of around 115 million passengers. Once complete, DWC will handle up to 260 million passengers a year.
The next major infrastructure milestone will be the opening of DWC’s second runway by the end of 2027, he said.
The airport will be built around eight nodes, each providing capacity for about 32 million passengers, allowing infrastructure to be added progressively as demand grows.
When fully ready, DWC will have five runways, four in regular use and one on standby. Two runways will support the initial 150-million-passenger phase, with additional runways coming into operation as capacity requirements grow.
Transition to DWC
The shift from DXB to DWC will be phased as capacity becomes available, rather than happening all at once. He said flydubai could begin moving five or six aircraft as early as next year, kick-starting a broader transition that will unfold over several months.
DXB's operations will ultimately move to DWC once its initial 150-million-passenger capacity is up and running.
Reimagining the passenger journey
Mr Griffiths also offered a glimpse of the future of air travel at DWC. He said the airport provides an opportunity to rethink the entire passenger journey, using technology to eliminate conventional processes and queues.
Check-in, he suggested, could largely disappear, with baggage drop-off and facial recognition enabling an experience that feels "more like an arrival at a hotel lobby" than a traditional airport process.
Dubai Airports is exploring integration with the city’s transport network, while AI and other advances could transform the airport experience.
Mona Ghanem Al Marri, director general of the Government of Dubai Media Office, said the International Media Briefing series connects global media directly with the leaders shaping Dubai's vital sectors, giving them first-hand insight into the strategies and priorities driving their development.
Hend Fekri, director of strategic media relations at GDMO, who moderated the discussion, said the briefing series creates a platform for open dialogue between international media and the leaders shaping Dubai's key sectors, and that the session with Mr Griffiths reflected the kind of informed exchange the series aims to foster.
