Dubai International Airport is expanding quickly and is on track to become the world’s busiest airport by the end of 2020.
Already the busiest airport for international passenger traffic—having recently surpassed London’s Heathrow—Dubai still trails Beijing Capital and Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson when measuring total passenger numbers. However, its rapid growth has narrowed the gap and put it in contention for the top overall spot.
“The growth rates that we are experiencing are more than double what is being experienced by both Beijing and Atlanta,” Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, told Bloomberg TV. “Within perhaps this decade, we should see ourselves exceeding the total traffic through those airports for the No. 1 absolute spots.”
Griffiths noted that Dubai International handled 78 million passengers in 2015 and expected about 5 million more in the following year. Projections at the time anticipated the airport would reach roughly 90 million passengers annually within another year, reflecting sustained, strong expansion.
By comparison, Hartsfield-Jackson reported 101.5 million total passengers in 2015 but grew by only about 5.3 million year-over-year. Dubai’s passenger numbers increased more sharply—by approximately 7.5 million over the same period—driven by faster airline and route growth.
Much of Dubai’s rise is linked to Emirates’ ongoing expansion, which has added capacity on many international routes. Growth in important markets such as India and the United Kingdom has also contributed to rising passenger volumes, strengthening Dubai International’s position as a global aviation hub.