Forget the era when flying out of Dubai, Riyadh or Doha was the only way to feel the region’s aviation pulse. In case you missed it, in 2025, a quiet revolution took to the skies where secondary airports across the GCC are rapidly moving from fringe player to centre stage, reshaping how the world travels to, from and within the region.
More than just overflow options
Recent travel data shows a clear shift. In 2025, almost one-third (32.4%) of all GCC travel started at secondary airports, up from the year before, and not by a trivial amount. The trend reflects real choice, not just overflow relief for congested hubs.
Traditionally, air traffic in the GCC has been dominated by a few mega-hubs, namely Dubai International, Riyadh King Khalid and Jeddah King Abdulaziz. Together, they still handle the lion’s share of passengers, but their relative dominance is easing as smaller airports pick up momentum.
Take the UAE for example – Sharjah International handled nearly 19.5 million passengers in 2025, a healthy 13.9% increase on 2024 figures, while Ras Al Khaimah International surpassed the milestone of 1 million passengers for the first time – a clear sign of maturation for what was once a niche gateway. This isn’t just about extra flights, but increasing demand for affordable accessibility, less crowded terminals, and bespoke travel experiences that feel closer to home than a mega-hub can offer.
It’s about choice, not replacement
In an interview with Business Today ME, Andrew Harrison-Chinn, Chief Marketing Officer at Dragonpass, said the shift isn’t a collapse of major hubs but a broadening of the travel ecosystem. “This isn’t about the decline of major hubs,” he said. “It’s about the expansion of choice. Travellers are spreading across more airports as connectivity improves and travel becomes more distributed.”
That commentary captures the essence of today’s traveller, where efficiency and convenience now rival the prestige of big terminals. With busy periods stretching over six months and July, August and October emerging as peak months, time-pressed travellers are choosing gateways that let them fly smarter, not just bigger.
Premium travel redefined
Luxury’s new definition in the GCC now leans toward speed, space and simplicity. Data reveals that 47% of premium travel activity in 2025 occurred outside of the region’s top three airports, a stark departure from past norms.
Rather than chasing sprawling lounges and palace-like terminals, discerning travellers are opting for fewer crowds, faster processing and niche experiences. The massive 1,010% surge in Fast Track service usage, which lets passengers breeze past queues, underscores just how much value is being placed on time and comfort over spectacle.
What’s driving this evolution?
Several trends are converging, including:
- Affordability and accessibility: Smaller airports often deliver cheaper fares and more direct flights to secondary and diaspora markets, connecting communities without forcing detours through mega-hubs.
- Sense of place: Travellers increasingly value authenticity – whether that’s a quicker beach break from Ras Al Khaimah or a cultural weekend from Bahrain, they want to start their journeys closer to the experiences that await.
- Airport efficiency and space: Less congested terminals offer room to breathe and manoeuvre – a luxury in high-traffic seasons.
- Enhanced connectivity: Airlines are broadening route networks from airports that were once regional playthings, bringing Europe, South Asia and intra-GCC markets directly to emerging gateways.
What this means for the industry
For airlines and network planners, decentralisation opens up fresh route-development opportunities and the chance to reduce pressure on saturated hubs. For tourism planners and destination marketers, it’s a way to spotlight lesser-known attractions, weaving curated experiences into the broader GCC travel tapestry.
As airport infrastructure evolves, from Sharjah’s passenger growth strategy to expanded facilities in Saudi secondary markets, the region’s aviation network is becoming richer, more interconnected and more resilient.
Even as Dubai and Saudi gateway airports continue to post impressive figures (with DXB handling tens of millions annually), the world is waking up to the idea that bigger isn’t always better, and smaller can be strategic, efficient and deeply appealing.
Bottom line, the rise of secondary airports in the GCC is becoming a central narrative in the future of travel, one driven by evolving traveller expectations, smarter flight networks and the alluring promise of choice without compromise. For travellers, planners, and providers alike, the message is simply that the skyward shift isn’t just upward, but it’s also very much outward.
