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The UAE’ civil aviation sector recorded notable growth across key indicators in H1 2025, with passenger traffic, air cargo, and air traffic movements showing solid results, according to a report by the state news agency (WAM).
Airports across the UAE handled 75.4 million passengers in H1 2025, up from 71.7 million in the same period last year, representing a 5 per cent increase. January recorded the highest monthly passenger volume, exceeding 13.7 million travellers.
UAE national carriers expanded their global network, launching flights to 15 new destinations across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.
The new cities include locations in Russia, Czech Republic, Poland, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Turkey, Iran, Egypt, Croatia, and Ethiopia, further reinforcing the UAE’s status as a major international aviation hub.
Country’s competitiveness in the aviation sector is ‘rising’
Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism and chairman of the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), said, “The UAE continues to enhance its global and regional standing as an international aviation hub, posting unprecedented growth rates driven by innovative national initiatives and strategies. This has significantly strengthened the country’s competitiveness and leadership in this vital sector, which today represents a key pillar for driving economic growth, diversifying income sources, and supporting trade, tourism, investment, and job creation across all aviation-linked sectors.”
Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, DG of GCAA, added, “We are proud to continue achieving stable growth rates in both passenger and cargo traffic, supported by ambitious development projects to keep pace with this expansion. The total passenger handling capacity of the country’s airports now exceeds 160 million, and we are confident that the aviation sector will continue to play a pivotal role in supporting the national economy, boosting tourism and trade, and reinforcing the UAE’s position as a leading air transport hub regionally and globally.”
In detail, air traffic in the UAE recorded 531,000 movements in H1 2025, a 6.2 per cent rise compared with nearly 500,000 movements during the same period last year.
Riyadh, Jeddah, Kuwait, Mumbai, and Bahrain were the top five busiest destinations in terms of weekly flights.
Air cargo volumes surpassed 2.2 million tonnes, up 4.74 per cent year-on-year, with national carriers accounting for 67 per cent of total cargo traffic.
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