Dubai Airports has opened operations at Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) following the full restoration of the UAE’s airspace, with CEO Paul Griffiths saying flight movements are increasing in line with available regional routing capacity.
Griffiths said in a LinkedIn post that maintaining stability at Dubai’s airports over the past two months had required “constant adaptation” due to significant regional airspace restrictions, adding that the priority was to keep global travel safe and consistent despite operational disruptions.
“Now that the UAE airspace is fully restored, we are increasing operations and increasing flight movements in line with available regional routing capacity,” he said.
Griffiths noted that the recovery phase is being carefully managed, with airport operations adjusting schedules, capacity and passenger flows in real time as conditions develop. He highlighted the complexity of operating in a disrupted aviation corridor where multi-stakeholder coordination is required to maintain continuity of global connectivity.
According to the CEO, a significant proportion of international transfer traffic flows through the Middle East, with Dubai playing a central role in promoting hub connectivity. He said DXB alone handles about 22.4 million transfer-related passenger journeys annually, representing about one-third of such movements through airport hubs in the region.
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Despite the operational challenges, Griffiths said Dubai’s airports have maintained high levels of throughput. Since the end of February, DXB and DWC have together supported more than 6 million passengers, more than 32,000 aircraft movements and more than 213,000 tons of base cargo.
He credited close coordination across the “oneDXB” ecosystem, including airline partners, service providers, aviation regulatory authorities and commercial stakeholders, for this performance. This integrated approach, he said, was critical to keeping operations under pressure.
“What this challenging period has shown is the importance of agility and collaboration at scale,” Griffiths said, adding that operational continuity depends not only on infrastructure, but also on disciplined execution, clear communication and system-wide responsiveness.
He further emphasized that Dubai’s status as a global aviation hub is closely linked to the strength of the international transfer market, which has shown resilience despite recent disruptions.
“Demand for travel via Dubai remains strong,” he said, adding that DXB is well positioned to gradually increase capacity while supporting airlines and passengers through the ongoing adjustment phase.
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The comments come as Dubai’s airports continue to recalibrate their operations following temporary airspace restrictions in the region, with flight schedules gradually being restored in coordination with airlines and aviation authorities.
Griffiths said the focus now remains on scaling operations in line with available airspace capacity while ensuring the safety, reliability and stability of the network as global travel demand continues to recover.
