UAE airports prepare for summer...

Dubai International predicts busiest day will be 5 July

Dubai International (DXB) and Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport (AUH) have issued advice to passengers ahead of an expected surge in summer travel, outlining expected busiest days and how early to arrive at the airports.

DXB, which attracted 8.68 million international tourists during the first five months of 2025, up 7% on 2024, says it expects more than 3.4 million guests between 27 June and 9 July, an average of 265,000 per day.

Saturday 5 July is predicted to be the busiest day at DXB over summer.

Dubai Airports has activated a summer readiness plan to ease congestion, with guests heading to DXB during this peak period advised to use Smart Gates, check in online and arrive no earlier than three hours before departure.

The airport also recommends using its newly launched remote check-in and luggage pickup service, with prices starting from AED279, or to check in up to 24 hours in advance at your airline's in-city check-in centre.

Flydubai has opened its first-ever city check-in centre in the heart of Sharjah for passengers departing DXB Terminal 2, while Air Arabia recently opened its second in-city check-in facility in Dubai, at Al Barsha Mall, with passengers departing from Sharjah International Airport or Zayed International in Abu Dhabi able to check in their baggage up to 48 hours prior to departure.

Flydubai's first in-city check-in facility in Sharjah

In Abu Dhabi, UAE national airline Etihad Airways says it expects to welcome more than 7 million guests at Zayed International over the summer, and contrary to the advice given at DXB, advises passengers to be at the airport at least four hours before departure.

Online check-in on Etihad opens 30 hours before departure and guests can use automated self-service bag drops at the terminal. Check-in and bag-drop are also available at locations across the emirate, including Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal which is open 24 hours a day, Yas Mall and in the second city of Al Ain.

Guests can opt to pay AED185 for home check-in through Morafiq up to five hours before departure, where bags will be checked, seats selected and boarding passes issued, and on return flights to Abu Dhabi, Morafiq’s Land & Leave service means passengers can have their bags delivered straight to their door.

Travellers to the US must check in at least four hours before their flight, with First, Business and The Residence guests able to use the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Preclearance facility 90 minutes before departure.

Zayed International Airport has the only US CBP Preclearance facility in the Middle East, and one of only a few worldwide. This enables passengers to complete immigration formalities before leaving the UAE, allowing for a swift and smooth arrival at the destination.

DXB welcomed a record total of 92.3 million guests in 2024 and the city attracted 8.68 million international tourists during the first five months of 2025, up 7% on the same period in 2024, according to the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET).

For more information, visit www.dubaiairports.com and www.zayedinternationalairport.ae

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