With Dubai’s winter high season only weeks away, Emirates Airline has issued an operational advisory predicting more than 2.3 million outbound and 2.5 million inbound passengers at Dubai International Airport (DXB) during December alone. The carrier is urging travellers to arrive at least three hours before departure, complete online check-in 48 hours in advance and use off-airport bag-drop options to avoid congestion.
The forecast reflects overlapping demand drivers: school holidays, a packed events calendar—headlined by COP29 side-summits and major sporting fixtures—and sustained tourism growth following the relaxation of UAE visit-visa rules earlier this year. DXB’s operator confirmed it is coordinating with immigration, customs and Dubai Police to increase staffing at peak times, while Emirates will extend opening hours for its City Check-In sites in DIFC and Ajman and offer bonus Skywards Miles to encourage early drop-off.
![Emirates warns of record December crowds as DXB braces for five-million travellers]()
For corporate travel planners, the advisory means budgeting extra transfer time and monitoring cut-off windows for biometric boarding and power-bank restrictions. Mobility managers moving assignees in December should also build in potential delays for Emirates’ popular home-check-in service, which must now be booked 24 hours before departure. Employers with large group moves are being offered dedicated counters but must pre-register passenger manifests with both the airline and the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs.
Although capacity at DXB has returned to pre-pandemic levels, the airport still runs near 95 per cent slot utilisation during festive peaks. Emirates’ notice is therefore a timely reminder that even the world’s busiest international hub can become a bottleneck if travellers ignore timelines. Companies are advised to refresh employee travel policies, highlighting immigration cut-off times (clear immigration 90 minutes before flight, reach gate 60 minutes prior) and Emirates’ updated lithium-battery rules.
The forecast reflects overlapping demand drivers: school holidays, a packed events calendar—headlined by COP29 side-summits and major sporting fixtures—and sustained tourism growth following the relaxation of UAE visit-visa rules earlier this year. DXB’s operator confirmed it is coordinating with immigration, customs and Dubai Police to increase staffing at peak times, while Emirates will extend opening hours for its City Check-In sites in DIFC and Ajman and offer bonus Skywards Miles to encourage early drop-off.
For corporate travel planners, the advisory means budgeting extra transfer time and monitoring cut-off windows for biometric boarding and power-bank restrictions. Mobility managers moving assignees in December should also build in potential delays for Emirates’ popular home-check-in service, which must now be booked 24 hours before departure. Employers with large group moves are being offered dedicated counters but must pre-register passenger manifests with both the airline and the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs.
Although capacity at DXB has returned to pre-pandemic levels, the airport still runs near 95 per cent slot utilisation during festive peaks. Emirates’ notice is therefore a timely reminder that even the world’s busiest international hub can become a bottleneck if travellers ignore timelines. Companies are advised to refresh employee travel policies, highlighting immigration cut-off times (clear immigration 90 minutes before flight, reach gate 60 minutes prior) and Emirates’ updated lithium-battery rules.
