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Dubai Airport passes London Heathrow to become the busiest airport in the world

Dennis Green   

Dubai Airport passes London Heathrow to become the busiest airport in the world

Dubai Airport

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!

Check out pictures of Dubai's beautiful airport, below.

dubai airport

Flickr/Patrik Nemes

Duty-free shops in Dubai International Airport.

Dubai Airport

Flickr/akaitori

A palm-tree lined waiting room in Dubai International Airport.


Dubai Aiport

Flickr/Petr Kadlec

A beautiful concourse at Dubai International Airport.


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