Dubai Airports Run Near Full Capacity Amid US Iran Tensions

Dubai airports are still running normally and are close to full capacity, despite the renewed tension between the US and Iran, Chief Executive Officer Paul Griffiths said.

“We are operating at pretty much full capacity,” Griffiths told Bloomberg on the sidelines of the Farnborough International Airshow. He said passenger traffic remains strong as more international airlines continue to bring back services to Dubai.

DXB also entered July expecting one of its busiest summer travel periods. Dubai Airports said around 3 million passengers were expected through the airport in the first half of the month, with daily traffic often going above 200,000. Transfer passengers were expected to make up about half of the total.

Since the regional crisis started, Dubai airports have handled more than 6 million passengers, Griffiths said. This shows how strong Dubai’s aviation sector remains during a time of geopolitical uncertainty.

Most foreign airlines return

International airline operations are increasing, but some major European carriers have still not fully restored Dubai services, Griffiths said. He pointed to travel advisories issued by some governments and difficulties in getting operational insurance.

“They are having difficulty getting insurance for operations,” he told Bloomberg. He added that this does not reflect the situation at Dubai International, which is still “completely normal”.

Griffiths said around 50 international airlines are currently operating at Dubai International Airport, which is about half the normal number. Still, he noted that extra capacity from Emirates has helped cover much of the gap.

Most foreign carriers have started returning gradually, but the slower comeback of some major European airlines, including British Airways and Air France, is linked to government guidance and insurance rules for flights to the region, not to any operational issue at Dubai Airport, he explained.

Airlines have also been using alternate flight routes to avoid affected airspace. “Routes through Saudi Arabian airspace and southern corridors have helped carriers maintain connections through Dubai while restrictions remain on some northern routes,” he said.

Emirates is currently operating at nearly 90% of its regular schedule, Griffiths added, while passenger traffic at the airport has remained “busy as usual” in recent days. The added capacity from Dubai’s home carrier has helped offset the slower return of some foreign airlines, he said.