Dubai Airports CEO: We expect DXB to reach 115m pax p/a by 2031

Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths, speaking to CAPA TV at the CAPA Airline Leader Summit World 2025, noted (12-Dec-2025) "the actual infrastructure size of Dubai International Airport (DXB) is very, very constrained, but because we operate 24/7 and we mostly handle large, widebodied aircraft, we've been able to achieve 95.3 million passengers at DXB" in 2025. Mr Griffiths continued: "Our ultimate capacity [at DXB] we think is about 115 million [passengers p/a], which we'll get to by around 2031. And then 2032 is the date that we're expecting to make the complete transition out of DXB to [Dubai World Central (Al Maktoum International Airport)] DWC. So the next few years will be absolutely crucial to get the last vestiges of capacity out of the DXB system". He said Dubai Airports is "already well into the design and operational concept for the new airport, which will be opening in 2032 with an initial capacity of 150 million and then building up to 260 million, which we anticipate will be the case by 2057". [more - CAPA TV]