Dubai International Airport, the world's busiest for international travel, has seen 70.1 million passengers already pass through its terminals this year, officials announced Wednesday.

The rapid growth of passengers at the airport underscores Dubai as a key hub for East-West travel in global aviation and the need for its $35 billion project to build a massive, five-runway airport at Al Maktoum International Airport at Dubai World Central.

The city-state's second airport is now hosting the biennial Dubai Air Show, which already has seen major aircraft orders by both the long-haul carrier Emirates and its lower-cost sister airline FlyDubai. Those purchases will fuel a major expansion of the routes flown by the two state-owned airlines.

“These record-breaking results reflect the continued strength of Dubai's aviation and tourism sectors," said Paul Griffiths, the CEO of Dubai Airports. “Yet, it also reinforces the importance of what comes next. The vision for DWC goes beyond capacity expansion – it represents the reimaging and evolution of the entire travel experience.”

Dubai International Airport, identified as DXB, is home to the long-haul carrier Emirates, which powers the network of state-owned and state-linked businesses referred to as “Dubai Inc”.

The expansion of Al Maktoum, known as DWC, will also fuel a major real estate expansion in this sheikhdom in the United Arab Emirates as well as in its southern reaches. Dubai plans to move its airport operations to DWC, about 45 km away from DXB.

A real-estate boom and the city's highest-ever tourism numbers have made Dubai a destination as well as a layover. However, the city is now grappling with increasing traffic and costs pressuring both its Emirati citizens and the foreign residents who power its economy.

Last year saw DXB have a record 92.3 million passengers, up from 86.9 million passengers in 2023. It had 89.1 million passengers in 2018 — its previous busiest-ever year before the pandemic, while 66 million passengers passed through in 2022.