The largest hub for international travelers in the world will increase its capacity to 118 million by 2023

"Dubai International Airport"... 62 years of achievements

Dubai's journey to become the first global aviation capital began on September 30, 1960, with the opening of Dubai International Airport, which celebrates today the 62nd anniversary of its founding, achieving several achievements in the aviation industry globally, and continuing to record record growth rates in recent decades, to become the largest hub For international travelers in the world, as the airport received at the end of 2018, the number of “billion.” A plane belonging to the Lebanese airline “Middle East” of the “Comet 4” model was launched on September 30, 1960, the opening of the airport, in the presence of about 3,000 people, who came By cars and buses, some of them used camels and horses to attend the event, knowing that the residents of the Emirate of Dubai witnessed, in 1936, the landing of the first seaplane on the waters of the Creek on a reconnaissance flight, to begin the first regular commercial flight to Dubai near the shopping center «City Center» in October 1937 .

From a city with a small airport, Dubai has grown into a world-famous destination for tourism, trade, finance and aviation in just a few decades.

Economic growth

The economic and urban growth in the emirate during 1964 contributed to the flow of investments, which was reflected in a significant increase in the movement of passengers through the airport. To make the airport ready to receive the largest models of aircraft.

Equipped with night lighting devices and advanced radar, the airport began in 1966, receiving scheduled night flights from Arab and international capitals.

In 1969, the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, may his soul rest in peace, made a strategic decision to construct a new building for Dubai Airport, near the operating airport. The new design included a modern building consisting of three floors and a control tower, as well as aircraft parking and administration offices.

Historic growth

In 1970, Dubai International recorded the highest growth level in its history, reaching 66%, as the number of passengers increased to more than 524,000 passengers, compared to 315,000 passengers in 1960.

For the first time in its history, in 1997, "Dubai International" entered the club of major airports, as it ranked sixth in a list of the world's 10 fastest growing airports, at a rate of 14%, surpassing major international airports in Europe and Asia.

During the period between 1980 and 2010, the air transport sector in Dubai witnessed a number of developments that boosted the growth process to unprecedented levels.

On October 25, 1985, Emirates Airlines launched its first airline with only two aircraft, two chartered Boeing 737 and Airbus B4 300, to the Pakistani capital, Karachi.

Having climbed to the top of the list of the world's busiest international airports in 2014, with international passenger traffic reaching 70.4 million, Dubai International Airport has since expanded its lead over the competition to enhance its global standing.

billion passengers

Dubai International Airport reached the major milestone of serving one billion passengers by the end of 2018. It took the airport 51 years, from September 30, 1960 to December 31, 2011, to reach its first 500 million passengers, but it registered the remaining 500 million in just seven years.

Dubai Airport has the capacity to handle 90 million passengers annually, and this capacity is expected to grow to more than 118 million by 2023, mainly by relying on advanced processes and technology.

Dubai Airport is among the largest global air cargo hubs, and has been able to handle more than 40.8 million tons of cargo from 1970 until September of 2020.

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