Dubai Airports Expand Flight Capacity – Airspace Fully Restored

Описание: Dubai Airports is significantly increasing flight capacity following the full restoration of UAE airspace as of May 2026 . The airspace had been restricted since late February 2026 due to regional conflicts, forcing airlines to adjust schedules across the Gulf . During the disruption period, Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) still safely handled over 6 million passengers, more than 32,000 aircraft movements, and over 213,000 tons of essential cargo . Now that airspace is fully reopened, Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths has confirmed the company is "scaling up operations and increasing flight movements in line with available regional routing capacity" . Airlines, led by national carriers Emirates and flydubai, are progressively restoring their flight schedules as conditions improve . Travel demand through Dubai remains strong, and DXB is well-positioned to accommodate traffic growth in the coming months . Looking ahead, long-term expansion continues at Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), which is being developed into the world's largest airport with five parallel runways, approximately 400 gates, and a planned capacity of up to 260 million passengers annually as part of a AED128 billion ($34.8 billion) expansion project . Dubai International Airport is expected to reach its maximum capacity of approximately 115 million passengers by 2031, after which a full transition to DWC is planned for 2032 . For comparison, DXB welcomed over 95 million passengers in 2025, retaining its position as the world's busiest international airport for the twelfth consecutive year . However, first quarter 2026 traffic was down 20.6% year-on-year due to the airspace restrictions, with just 18.6 million passengers passing through DXB . With the restoration of full airspace capacity, Dubai Airports is actively working to increase daily flights and enable airlines to gradually return to normal operations