Dubai International Airport has held onto its ranking as the world's busiest airport for international seat capacity in August, with airlines scheduling 4.54 million outbound seats — roughly 9 million when counting both directions — as carriers ramped up flights for peak summer travel, according to a Gulf News report citing aviation data provider OAG.

The figure represents a 4.4 percent rise from July, an increase of about 190,000 seats month-on-month, keeping Dubai well ahead of other major hubs worldwide.

London Heathrow came in second with 4.26 million scheduled international seats, followed by Seoul Incheon with 3.95 million. Amsterdam Schiphol ranked fourth with 3.85 million seats, and Istanbul Airport rounded out the top five with 3.80 million.

The capacity growth reflects airlines' continued expansion through Dubai during one of the busiest travel periods of the year, driven by strong seasonal demand, the report said.

Dubai International also held its position as the world's busiest airport for international passengers in 2025 for a 12th consecutive year, according to figures from Airports Council International cited in the report. The airport handled a record 95.2 million passengers last year, up 3.1 percent from 2024 and the busiest year in its history, before handling a further 18.6 million passengers in the first quarter of 2026.

Source: Gulf News