UAE aviation soars as passenger traffic and global connectivity hit records in 2025
Passenger numbers and cargo volumes climb across all major airports
DUBAI – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has reinforced its global standing in aviation and tourism in 2025, with airports across the country reporting record passenger volumes, higher flight movements and expanding international networks.
Official figures show sustained year-on-year growth across major hubs, supported by airline expansion and infrastructure upgrades.
The sector continues to play a central role in national tourism and logistics strategies, driven by connectivity across hundreds of global destinations.
Dubai
Passenger traffic at Dubai International Airport reached a record 95.2 million in 2025, marking the busiest year in the airport’s history. The figure represents a 3.1 percent increase year on year and stands as the highest annual international passenger traffic recorded by any airport worldwide. Flight movements rose 3.3 percent to 454,800, while baggage volumes climbed to 86.75 million.
The airport is now linked to 291 destinations in 110 countries through 108 international airlines. Operational performance also improved, with mishandled baggage performance recorded at 99.75 percent, alongside wider deployment of smart gates, AI systems and self-service platforms.
Abu Dhabi
Passenger traffic across Abu Dhabi Airports exceeded 33 million in 2025, the highest annual total on record for the emirate. Zayed International Airport handled 8.59 million passengers in the fourth quarter alone, up 13.8 percent compared with the same period last year.
Cargo volumes across Abu Dhabi’s five airports approached 770,000 tonnes, highlighting the emirate’s expanding role in global air freight and logistics operations alongside passenger growth.
Sharjah
Sharjah Airport reported passenger numbers of 19.48 million in 2025, up 13.9 percent from 17.1 million in 2024.
Aircraft movements increased to 116,657 as the airport added and strengthened routes across regional and international markets, supporting both tourism and transit demand.
Ras Al Khaimah
Ras Al Khaimah International Airport crossed one million annual passengers for the first time, handling 1.3 million travellers during the year.
Its scheduled network expanded to 16 international destinations, including India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Egypt.
UAE carriers
National carriers also widened their global reach. Emirates operated services to 152 destinations in 79 countries and territories.
flydubai served more than 135 destinations in 58 countries with a fleet of 97 aircraft. Etihad Airways flew to 91 destinations across more than 50 countries, while Air Arabia added 30 new routes in 2025, taking its total network to 219 destinations across hubs in the UAE, Morocco, Egypt and Pakistan.
Airports nationwide continued investing in digital payment systems, automation and AI-led passenger processing, while collecting multiple international awards for safety, operational efficiency and customer experience.