Daijiworld Media Network – Dubai

Dubai, Aug 27: Dubai International Airport, one of the world's busiest aviation hubs, recorded a sharp decline in passenger traffic during the second quarter amid disruptions caused by the Iran war and changes in travel routes.

The airport handled 13 million passengers in the second quarter, taking its total passenger traffic for the first half of the year to 31.5 million. This represented a 31.3% decline compared with the first half of 2025, airport authorities said on Wednesday.

Air travel across the United Arab Emirates and other parts of the Gulf region was disrupted following shutdowns and restrictions after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28. Dubai International Airport also suffered minor damage during Iranian attacks.

Aircraft movements at the airport totalled 150,600 during the first six months of the year, down 32.1% from the corresponding period last year. Of these, only 62,500 movements were recorded in the second quarter.

Despite the sharp decline, Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths said passenger numbers had increased steadily during each month of the second quarter, indicating a positive recovery trend.

“The events of the disruption, which lasted two months, had an impact on traffic,” Griffiths told The Associated Press. He said the trajectory was now “universally positive”.

Griffiths said the airport was awaiting the resumption of services by overseas airlines, particularly carriers from Europe.

“I’m very confident we’ll be back to full operation in a very short space of time,” he said.

The latest figures underline the significant impact of the regional conflict on one of the world's key international aviation hubs, even as passenger traffic shows signs of recovery.