'Dubai won't lose the crown': Airport chief vows it will remain world's busiest

Dubai International Airport (DXB) is confident it will maintain its position as the world's busiest international hub for passengers this year, despite a 42% drop in second-quarter passenger traffic due to the Iran war disrupting travel. The airport handled 13 million passengers in the April to June period, down from 22.5 million in the same period last year, with first-half passenger traffic totaling 31.5 million, a 31.3% year-on-year decline.

However, DXB's boss Paul Griffiths remains optimistic about the airport's recovery in the second half of the year, as more international airlines are set to resume services by the end of October and Emirates and flydubai restore their route networks. The airport has already bounced back to about 86% of its capacity. Griffiths predicts that DXB will reach 100 million passengers by 2027, a year later than initially planned, but remains confident that the gap between this year and last year will continue to narrow.

The airport currently serves 56 airlines, down from around 90 before the war, with major carriers such as Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines cautious about resuming flights. Griffiths is optimistic that European and US airlines will return to DXB by the end of October for the winter season, which should help in achieving the 100 million passenger milestone.

Despite travel advisories and the impact of the war on tourism, DXB's current passenger mix is evenly split between transit travellers and point-to-point flyers, with no significant change due to the conflict. Major source markets for DXB include India, Saudi Arabia, and the UK, with Riyadh Air starting operations to the emirate. Griffiths believes the airport will continue on a steady upward trajectory in the coming months.