Dubai claimed the title of world's busiest international airport in 2014, as 68.9 million passengers passed through Dubai International Airport (DIA) over 12 months ending in September of 2014, compared with 67.8 million at London Heathrow Airport.
Experts are crediting this boom in business to the fast expansion of Emirates airline, specifically the carrier's development into western markets with its deluxe Airbus A380 flights. The introduction of flydubai, the low-cost airline carrier, as well as a slew of new flights to India has also helped the rapid growth of DIA.
"Given the traffic achieved in the first 11 months, together with some of the busiest days on record in December, we are confident of ending the year above the 70 million mark and confirming our position as the world's busiest international airport," said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, in a statement before the final numbers were released.
In addition to the expansion of its airport, Dubai was the fifth most visited city in the world in 2014, behind London and Paris.
However, although Dubai is the world's busiest international airport, Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the busiest when you count domestic flights, clocking in at 94.4 million in 2013.