Tuesday 19 March 2024 (UAE)

Dubai International Airport (DXB / JXB)

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Dubai International Airport (IATA Airport Code DXB)

Latest flight information tel Dubai International Airport +971-4-2166666 or visit the Flight Information menu on the Dubai Airport website. All Emirates (EK) passengers arrive at and depart from Terminal 3 (T3). Most other airline passengers use Terminal 1 (T1). Terminal 2 (T2) is for a handful of more obscure airlines, and Fly Dubai until they move to Jebel Ali Airport.

Dubai airport shops, restaurants, duty-free, cafes, bars, and airline lounges are open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

Dubai Airport runway maintenance and upgrade 2014

From 01 May 2014 until mid July 2014, maintenance and upgrade work will be carried out at Dubai Airport with one runway closed for some of this time, resulting in some airlines relocation to Al Maktoum Airport (DWC) and others reducing their flights during this time.

Dubai Airport general information

Dubai International Airport (or just Dubai Airport, DXB) is in the Garhood / Garhoud area of Dubai. A second international airport is under construction in the Jebel Ali area, called Al Maktoum International Airport. Previously the new airport was to be known as Dubai World Central International Airport, and previous to that was Jebel Ali Airport, Jebel Ali International Airport, Jebel Ali Airport City, or Dubai International Airport City. Both airports are owned and operated by Dubai Airports (a catchy name for a company in the airport business wouldn't you say?).

Dubai Airport biometric passport scanning

Dubai Airport contact information

Dubai Airport passenger numbers

Year Passengers Cargo
(tonnes)
  Year Passengers Cargo
(tonnes)
  Year Passengers Cargo
(tonnes)
  Year Passengers Cargo
(tonnes)
1980 2.79 million 49.9k   1990 5.0 million 144k   2000 12.3 million 0.56m   2010 47.2 million 2.3m
1981 3.16 million 62.1k   1991 4.4 million 140k   2001 13.5 million 0.61m   2011 51.0 million 2.19m
1982 3.36 million 72.2k   1992 5.4 million 186k   2002 16 million 0.76m   2012 58 million 2.28m
1983 3.57 million 82.5k   1993 5.7 million 218k   2003 18 million 0.94m   2013 66 million  
1984 3.63 million 88.0k   1994 6.3 million 243k   2004 22 million 1.11m   2014    
1985 3.85 million 94.0k   1995 7.1 million 316k   2005 25 million 1.33m   2015   3.4m
1986 3.78 million 99.3k   1996 8.0 million 359k   2006 28 million 1.41m   2016    
1987 4.31 million 117k   1997 9.1 million 414k   2007 34 million 1.67m   2017    
1988 4.35 million 123k   1998 9.7 million 432k   2008 37.4 million 1.82m   2018 90 million  
1989 4.56 million 131k   1999 10.8 million 475k   2009 40.9 million 1.93m   2019    
                        2020 98.5 million 4m

Dubai Airport expansion - Concourse D

Getting to and from Dubai International Airport

Dubai airport taxi fares start at AED 25, Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC) only uses family vans for airport taxis from Feb 2014.

Accommodation near Dubai Airport

Dubai Airport SnoozeCube

Getting through Dubai International Airport - arrivals

Dubai International Airport departures

Dubai Airport Facilities

Dubai Airport concourse and terminal differences

An airport terminal is usually where passengers check in for departure, or collect luggage and go through customs when arriving. A concourse is usually where the planes arrive and depart from. Sometimes the terminal and concourse buildings are separate, sometimes they're the same. Duty free shops and other facilities might be located in terminals or concourses or both. For Dubai Airport, it can be a little confusing. As of October 2008 when the new Terminal 3 and Concourse 2 opened, there are 3 terminal buildings and 2 concourse buildings, with a third concourse under construction.

Gate numbering on boarding passes can be confusing. Numbers starting with a 1 are for Concourse 1 (not Terminal 1). Numbers starting with a 2 are for Concourse 2 (not Terminal 2). Numbers starting with a 3 are for Concourse 3 (not open, and not Terminal 3 - if you get one of these, boarding will commence in 2011 ... 2012 ... 2013 so you should find somewhere comfortable to sit for the next year or two).

Dubai Airport Concourse 4 or Concourse D

Dubai Airport Concourse 3 or Concourse A. Or Terminal 4?

Concourse 3 is dedicated to A380 aircraft (Emirates only ... or maybe other carriers also?). Under construction from 2008 (?), expected completion or opening date in 2011 ... maybe end of 2010 ... 2011 ... 2012 ... Q1 2013

Dubai Airport Terminal 3

The departure hall and arrival hall of Terminal 3 (T3) are spacious and pleasant with large columns making it look like something the ancient Greeks or Romans might have designed. For departures though, after clearing passport control and security checks, one is thrust into the melee of the poorly designed claustrophobic duty-free shopping area, a sharp contrast from the much less hectic shopping area in Terminal 1 (which is connected to T3 if you want to escape the crowds).

The new terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport (DIA) opened with a first flight to Doha on 14 October 2008 at 14:15. There was a four phase operation to shift all Emirates (EK) flights from terminal 1 (T1) to T3. When you walk around T3 and think that it seems like a large building, that's because it is. The largest by footprint area in the world, coming in at about 1.5 million sq meters / 1.5 square km (or 16 million square feet). Phased transfer schedule for EK flights from T1 to T3:

Terminal 2 Dubai Airport

Terminal 2 is located on the Sharjah side of the Dubai Airport area. If you mess up and go to Terminals 1 or 3 by mistake, catch a taxi to Terminal 2. It's too far to walk (especially in summer heat) but allow 1-2 hours if you really want to, there's no shuttle service. Using the Dubai Metro is complicated since you have to change lines, and still walk a long way anyway.

Terminal 1 Dubai Airport

Dubai International Airport awards

List of Dubai Airport plane crashes, accidents, and air traffic incidents - history and timeline

Aircraft incidents on the way to or from Dubai Airport involving a loss of life

UPS Dubai plane crash 03 September 2010
Air India Dubai Mangalore plane crash 22 May 2010
Previous list of plane crashes in Dubai and other incidents
Last update Saturday 25-Jul-2015
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Abu Dhabi AUH ABD ADB, Ajman AJM, Al Ain AAN, Dubai DXB, Fujairah FUJ, Ras Al Khaimah RAK, Sharjah SHJ, Umm Al Quwain UAQ

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