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Dubai Airport passes London Heathrow to become the busiest airport in the world
Reuters/Jumana El-Heloueh The Emirates Terminal at Dubai International Airport.
In 2014, Dubai International took the crown of "World's Busiest Airport" from London Heathrow International.
More than 70.4 million international passengers moved through the Dubai's ornate concourses, terminals, and duty-free shops in 2014, up 6.1% from 2013.
Dubai's numbers were boosted by rapid expansion and a convenient international location.
Also helping the airport's numbers was Emirates — the world's busiest airline by international volume — and its fleet of Airbus A380 superjumbo jets, based in Dubai.
Heathrow moved a record-setting 68.1 million international passengers for the year, but clearly couldn't keep up with Dubai's growth.
Officials at Heathrow blamed a stalled plan for a third runway for the title loss, according to a spokesman.
Dubai is set to open another concourse this year — and is forecasting 79 million international visitors. Dubai Airports also said it's planning to build a $32-billion new airport in the country within 8 years. It will have capacity for 240 million passengers, according to the Wall Street Journal.
And it will need it to match up with Emirate's growth projections!
And for what it's worth, the contest between Dubai and Heathrow is over the title for busiest international hub. If you want to talk about the flat-out busiest airport period, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson hold the crown from most passenger traffic.
Check out pictures of Dubai's beautiful airport, below.
Flickr/Patrik Nemes Duty-free shops in Dubai International Airport.
Flickr/akaitori A palm-tree lined waiting room in Dubai International Airport.
Flickr/Petr Kadlec A beautiful concourse at Dubai International Airport.
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