Dubai International Airport is gearing up for an ‘exceptionally busy’ holiday season…

Whether you’re flying to, from or through Dubai International Airport (DXB) in the coming days, prepare for it to be exceptionally busy. DXB forecasts that it will see nearly 2 million passengers pass through its terminals in the eight days from December 27, 2022 to January 2, 2023.

So, if you’re travelling during this time, your urged to plan ahead and allow ample time to make all the necessary travel requirements.

With DXB daily passenger numbers almost back to pre-pandemic levels, this week the airport is expected to be one of the busiest since 2019. The busiest day is likely to be Tuesday January 2, 2023, as many return home from Christmas getaways. On this day, DXB expects as many as 257,000 passengers in a single day.

If you’re travelling during this period, DXB has issued a few travel reminders to help make the airport experience seamless despite the busy time.

The roads are likely to be busy, so be sure to allow extra time to reach your terminal. Where possible, take the Dubai Metro, which has stations at Terminal 1 and Terminal 3. If you’re travelling over New Year’s, the Dubai Metro will operate around-the-clock on December 31 and January 1.

Where possible, use online and self-service option to reduce queue time at the airport, and double check you have all documents at home in advance.

If you’re departing from Terminal 1, arrive no earlier than 3 hours before departure. If you’re travelling from Terminal 3, you can take advantage of Emirates’ early and self-check-in facilities.

Those travelling with children over 12 are reminded they are eligible to use smart gates.

It’s been a busy month for the airport this December, with the World Cup in Doha and Dubai’s increasing popularity as a winter tourism destination contributing to the increased football. It’s set to reach its peak this week, with daily traffic reaching roughly 245,000 travellers.