108.59 million passengers reinforce UAE airports’ global leadership

UAE airports continued to post record performance during the first nine months of 2025, strengthening the global competitiveness of the country’s civil aviation sector and its central role in driving economic growth.

According to official data, Abu Dhabi Airports, Dubai International (DXB), and Sharjah Airport recorded approximately 108.59 million passengers by the end of September. Forecasts suggest that passenger traffic across UAE airports will reach around 159 million by the end of this year.

Passenger numbers at Abu Dhabi Airports rose to 24.29 million by the end of September, including 8.49 million travellers recorded between 1st July and 30th September 2025.

Abu Dhabi Airports’ growth strategy has supported the strong results, driven by new route launches. This included Jazeera Airways resuming flights to Abu Dhabi, connecting Zayed International Airport and Al Ain International Airport to Kuwait.

Several new airlines also joined Abu Dhabi’s network this year, including China Eastern Airlines, which began daily flights to Shanghai; Air Seychelles, operating six flights per week; and Ethiopian Airlines, which launched daily flights to Addis Ababa.

Dubai International (DXB) delivered exceptional performance in the first nine months of 2025, handling 70.1 million passengers.

DXB also set a quarterly passenger record in its 65-year history during Q3 2025, receiving 24.2 million passengers between July and September, a 1.9 percent increase year-on-year. The airport’s twelve-month rolling traffic at the end of September reached a record 93.8 million guests.

Sharjah International Airport also maintained strong operational performance, handling 14.2 million passengers in the first nine months, reaffirming its position as a major gateway locally and internationally.

Sharjah Airport reported continued growth during Q3 2025, with 5,127,120 passengers, up from 4,392,000 in the same period of 2024, a 16.7 per cent increase.

Scheduled and unscheduled flights rose to 30,737, compared to 27,758 last year, a 10.7 per cent rise.

WAm