Dubai International Airport turns 66: From a sand runway in 1960 to 1.5 billion passengers and counting

Dubai: Dubai International Airport celebrates its 66th anniversary today, September 30, marking an extraordinary journey that has transformed Dubai from a modest airport into one of the world's leading aviation hubs. From a compact 1,800-meter-long sand runway and a small terminal building that opened in 1960, the airport has embarked on continuous expansion, propelling it to the forefront of global airports in terms of international passenger traffic. The number of passengers who have passed through its gates, since its opening, has exceeded 1.5 billion in 2026. The airport’s growth was not separate from the economic and urban transformation that Dubai witnessed, as every expansion in air traffic coincided with the expansion of the trade, tourism and investment network, so that the facility, which started with limited capabilities, turned into a global hub linking Dubai to hundreds of destinations and markets around the world. The beginning... a sandy runway The airport started with a compact 1,800-meter-long sand runway and a small terminal building that opened in 1960. File photograph The story of modern Dubai Airport began in 1959, when the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum ordered the construction of a new airport for the emirate. When it opened on September 30, 1960, it included an 1,800-meter runway made of compacted sand, an aircraft apron, a small passenger terminal, and a fire station. The runway was initially designed to accommodate small aircraft, before the infrastructure gradually expanded to meet the growing demand for air travel. Dubai had been familiar with aviation for years before the airport was built, with air traffic in the emirate comprising mostly seaplanes, before scheduled air services developed and the need arose for a facility more capable of accommodating the anticipated growth. In May 1965, the new asphalt runway, nearly 2,800 meters long, entered service, opening the way for larger aircraft and jetliners. This phase saw the arrival of Comet aircraft belonging to Middle East Airlines and Kuwait Airways, marking the beginning of a new chapter in the history of Dubai Airport. Here emerged one of the most important turning points in the history of the airport, as it was no longer just a facility to serve limited air traffic, but rather began to transform into infrastructure capable of keeping pace with the growth of Dubai and its expanding connection with the world. The intersection between East and West Air traffic in the emirate comprised mostly seaplanes, before scheduled air services developed. File photograph As Dubai’s economic growth accelerated during the 1970s and 1980s, the airport’s facilities expanded, and its capacity to receive aircraft and flights increased, in parallel with the emirate’s growing status as a centre for trade and re-export. With the establishment of Emirates airline in 1985, the airport entered a new phase of growth, as the carrier began building a wide international network from Dubai, while flydubai, since commencing operations in 2009, has strengthened connectivity with regional and international markets. The opening of Terminal 3 in 2008, dedicated to Emirates, marked another major milestone in the airport's expansion and solidified its ability to handle the rapid growth in passenger and aircraft traffic. This expansion was not just an increase in space and facilities, but coincided with the transformation of the airport's business model itself - from a facility that receives and departs flights, to a global hub for connecting markets. Seizing the top spot among international airports Dubai International Airport marked a global turning point in 2014, when it became the world’s busiest airport in terms of international passenger traffic, after the number of passengers reached 70.4 million. Since then, DXB has maintained its leading position in global airport rankings for international passenger traffic. In 2024, the airport celebrated a full decade at the top of this ranking, having recorded 92.3 million passengers, a 6.1% increase over 2023. During the same decade, the airport handled more than 700 million passengers on more than 3.3 million flights. Then came 2025, setting a new record with 95.2 million passengers, a 3.1% increase compared to 2024, marking its busiest year ever and the highest annual international passenger traffic ever recorded by any airport worldwide. Aircraft movements also reached approximately 454,800 during the year. Dubai International Airport marked a global turning point in 2014, when it became the world’s busiest airport in terms of international passenger traffic. File photograph A milestone of 1.5 billion passengers Dubai Airport's figures are no longer measured in millions of passengers annually, but now reflect the accumulation of decades of air traffic. When celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2020, DXB had handled 1.115 billion passengers since its opening, on board more than 7.47 million flights, connec