Dubai Airports is entering the winter travel season with expanded schedules at Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Dubai World Central–Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), reflecting strong seasonal demand and growing confidence from airline partners.
Direct traffic now accounts for 55 percent of passenger demand at DXB, in line with the annual winter upswing driven by cooler weather, major business and cultural events, and outbound travel by residents. Continued population growth in Dubai is also contributing to sustained point-to-point travel.
European and Central Asian routes are a key source of growth. FlyArystan joined the DXB network on Nov. 29 with twice-weekly flights from Aktau, Kazakhstan. Austrian Airlines resumed services from Vienna on Dec. 2 with five weekly flights. Capacity from Europe has also increased, with Virgin Atlantic deploying the A350-1000 on its Dubai route, lifting seat capacity by 52 percent, and British Airways restoring A380 services from London Heathrow.
Connectivity from South Asia and the Middle East has also expanded. Varesh Airline launched twice-weekly flights from Sari, Iran, on Oct. 30, while Fly Jinnah introduced twice-weekly services from Lahore on Nov. 2, reinforcing links with markets that typically see higher winter travel volumes.
Traffic from Saudi Arabia has recorded particularly strong growth. The country is DXB’s second-largest market, accounting for 7.8 percent of total passengers year to date through October. Combined traffic from Saudi Arabia across DXB and DWC reached 6.3 million passengers, up 1.3 percent year on year, with DWC reporting a 459 percent increase to 173,000 passengers.
DWC’s role within Dubai’s aviation system is becoming more prominent as airlines use its available capacity to complement DXB operations. The airport handled 1.1 million passengers in the first 10 months of the year, a 36.6 percent increase, supported by demand from CIS, GCC and Western European markets. Cargo volumes and aircraft movements also continued to rise.
Eurowings has contributed to this expansion with a new daily DXB service from Stuttgart, a three-times-weekly Düsseldorf service at DWC, and increased frequencies to Berlin, Cologne and Hannover, including Premium Bizclass on the Berlin route.
Dubai Airports said the winter schedule reflects resilient and diversified demand across both airports, balancing inbound tourism, resident travel and population growth as the city maintains its position as a leading global aviation hub.
Photo credits: Government of Dubai Media Office
Oksana Bozhko is a Contributor to Dubai Voice.
Oksana Bozhko
