Top 5 Dubai Airports in 2024

Dubai is one of the most travelled to destinations every year. Millions of people from across the world throng to Dubai to experience the man-made marvel in all it’s glory. Dubai has been an epicentre for luxury, leisure and entertainment over the last decade and a half. While it is easy to think that Dubai is all about the fun, there’s a side to Dubai which is hustling and focusing on becoming one of the most efficient and progressive economies in the world.

The aviation sector in Dubai has been at the forefront of development and innovation when it comes to the success story of Dubai. With travel, logistics, import and export being some of the most important sectors for the UAE, the role of the aviation industry is important.

Top 5 Dubai Airports in 2024

The aviation sector in Dubai is looking to make a massive progression in making it one of the most environmentally sustainable industries. Dubai in total has 6 Airports which receive millions of visitors every year for various reasons. These airports have been the epicentre of trade and commerce for these regions. Let’s have a look at them and get to know them better.

1. The Dubai International ( DXB ) 

The Dubai International airport is the most important airport of Dubai residing at the heart of the city. Dating back to 1960, the airport has only increased in the percentage of travellers inflow every single year. The airport is the 5th busiest airport in the world with an estimated 95 million customers thronging the airport annually. The Dubai International airport connects close to 250 destinations all over the six continents with over 100 air carriers.

Dubai International airport has the highest number of passengers per flight count currently. It has been recognized as one of the most dynamic airports for both passenger and cargo aircraft.

The Dubai International airport spans over an area of 18,440,000 S.ft with one of the most notable architectures in the world. To reduce the consumption of power, the DXB has also installed one of the most extensive solar energy systems in the world.

Major carriers: Emirates, Etihad, Air Arabia and Fly Dubai. 

2. Dubai World Central ( DWC ) – Al Maktoum Airport. 

The Dubai World Central airport is an aviation hub that has been set up in the southern corner of the city close to the newly developing areas of ‘New Dubai’. The airport was opened in 2010 majorly for cargo operations, but later in 2013 it also started flying in the passenger aircraft.

The DWC has been touted to accommodate close to 250 million passengers every year and was also going to replace the DXB as the new home of the Emirates airlines. The phase 1 of the airport expansion has now made it ready to accommodate 130 million passengers a year. As we speak, the expansion of the DWC has been on hold and has been projected a completion timeline of 2030.

Major carriers: Air blue, Cathay Pacific, Aeroflot etc.

3. Abu Dhabi international airport ( AUH ) 

The Abu Dhabi International airport is located in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi. This is the second-largest airport in the UAE after the Dubai International Airport. The Abu Dhabi International airport hosts up to 30 million passengers annually. It also is the hub of the Etihad Airways, which is one of the primary air carriers in the world. 

The Abu Dhabi airport is also designed in such a way that the commuters can check in seamlessly and also get a chance to explore the downtown of Abu Dhabi during their layover time.

Major carriers: Etihad, Air Arabia, Fly Dubai and Emirates are the major carriers. 

4. The Sharjah International Airfield ( SHJ ) 

The Sharjah international Airfield has been known as the third highest middle eastern freight hub in terms of cargo tonnage. The Sharjah aviation services commands close to 600,000 tonnes of cargo every year. 

The airport also has one commuter terminal of area 1,356,253 S.ft and accommodates close to 4 million passengers every year. The Sharjah International Airfield is also one of the headquarters of the Air Arabia airlines. 

Major carriers: Air Arabia. Jordan Aviation, Smartavia etc

5. The Ras Al Khaimah International Airfield ( RKT ) 

The Ras Al Khaimah International Airfield is located in the Persian Gulf of Sheikhdom. This airport was inaugurated in the year 1976 by Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammad Al Qasimi. The Airport has two passenger terminals and is also focused on aircraft maintenance, Cargo shipment and aviation training departments. 

The Ras Al Khaimah International Airfield was home to the RAK airways set up in the early 2000s. In 2014, Air Arabia started to officially fly out to countries like Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Bangladesh which resulted in the discontinuation of the RAK airways, officially. 

Now The Ras Al Khaimah International Airfield is the central hub for Air Arabia’s operations. Now the airport has been refocused to aid cargo business, especially from the market endowments under the Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone. 

Major carriers: Fly Dubai, Fujeira Aviation Academy, Air Arabia, Etihad Airways and Emirates.

The Dubai Aviation sector has played a key role in expanding travel, trade and commerce relations between multiple countries and has been an economy booster. These are some of the airports that you can plan your Dubai vacation around. Reach out to the destination experts at Pickyourtrail to craft a customizable Dubai tour package including flights.