Dubai International Airport (DXB), the world’s busiest international passenger airport, is expected to permanently shut down by 2035 as Dubai prepares to shift all commercial flight operations to the much larger Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) in Dubai South.
The transition marks one of the biggest aviation infrastructure changes in recent decades. Dubai’s government has already approved a massive new terminal project at DWC valued at roughly $35 billion, with long-term plans to transform the site into the world’s largest airport by passenger capacity.
DXB handled around 95.2 million passengers in 2025 after crossing 92 million travellers in 2023, but airport officials say the current site is nearing its operational limits. According to Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths, DXB is expected to reach capacity of around 114 million passengers annually by 2031, triggering the gradual migration of airlines and services to DWC from 2032 onward.
Why Dubai Is Replacing DXB
Dubai International Airport has become one of the most important global transit hubs since opening in 1960. Major airlines including Emirates, flydubai, Air India, Saudia and Pakistan International Airlines currently rely heavily on DXB for connecting traffic between Europe, Asia, Africa and North America.
However, expansion at DXB has become increasingly difficult because the airport is surrounded by major highways, residential neighbourhoods and commercial districts. Aviation officials believe investing heavily in ageing infrastructure no longer makes economic sense when Dubai has room to build a much larger aviation city at Dubai World Central.
According to the Dubai Media Office, Al Maktoum International Airport will eventually be capable of handling up to 260 million passengers annually, far ahead of any airport currently operating worldwide.
The new airport is also expected to include five parallel runways, around 400 aircraft gates and cargo handling capacity of up to 12 million tonnes every year. Officials say DWC will ultimately be five times larger than DXB, covering nearly 27 square miles once fully completed.
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What Happens Next
Despite viral headlines suggesting an immediate shutdown, DXB will continue operating for years while construction at DWC expands in phases. Reports indicate the full Al Maktoum project may not be completely finished until around 2057, meaning travellers could see both airports functioning during the long transition period.
The project is also expected to connect with the future Etihad Rail high-speed network, potentially reducing travel time between Dubai and Abu Dhabi to around 30 minutes.
The aviation shift could reshape global airline traffic patterns and strengthen Dubai’s position as one of the world’s most influential travel and logistics centres. Swikblog recently also covered the impact of regional aviation disruption in this report on UAE flight operations and Middle East airspace issues.
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