World’s busiest airport: Dubai overtakes Atlanta with 5.3 million passengers this month

Dubai International Airport has taken over the top spot as the world’s busiest airport in terms of total airline seats.

With more than 5.3 million scheduled seats in November, Dubai has now overtaken Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport in the US, which has held the top spot for years.

From international giant to world number one

Dubai has been the busiest airport in the world for more than 10 years when only international flights are considered.

But with the latest data from research firm OAG, the airport has now taken the overall lead in both domestic and international traffic.

This has happened even though Dubai has no domestic routes at all.

In November, Dubai International offers 2 percent more seats than Atlanta, equivalent to around 104,000 extra seats.

Compared to the same month last year, capacity has increased by 5 percent.

The growth is mainly due to Emirates and flydubai significantly expanding their route networks, among other things after Emirates received 13 new Airbus A350 aircraft over the past year.

Last year, Dubai set a record with over 92 million passengers. The airport’s CEO, Paul Griffiths, expects that number to reach 100 million annual travelers by 2027.

Problems in the US give Dubai a head start

While Dubai’s growth is due to strategic expansion, part of Atlanta’s decline may be linked to problems in US aviation.

A temporary shutdown of parts of the federal government has created a shortage of air traffic controllers and led to delays and cancellations across the country.

In addition, the FAA has ordered the 40 largest airports, including Atlanta, to reduce capacity by 10 percent.

According to FlightAware data, Atlanta experienced several hundred cancellations a day in early November, which likely affected its position.

Dubai is betting big on the future

Even without the US challenges, Dubai’s growth seems inevitable.

The airport is expected to continue its expansion until the entire operation is moved to the new Dubai World Central facility in the coming years.

The future airport will have five runways and will be able to handle around 260 million passengers and 12 million tons of cargo annually, far more than the current capacity of Dubai International.

Emirates plays a key role in this development. The airline already has more than 270 long-haul aircraft and has ordered an additional 292 aircraft for the coming years.

Some will replace older models, but many will be used to further expand the network and ensure Dubai remains the world’s busiest hub for international air traffic.