By Mohammed Rashad Hussain, Managing PartnerPublished 4 min read
Which airlines use Terminal 2?
Terminal 2 is the home of flydubai, which launched there in June 2009. The Dubai Airports fact file says about 21 airlines operate from it, and most are regional carriers. The file is dated December 2019, so the exact list may have moved since.
Not every flydubai flight lands here. Dubai Airports says some use Terminal 3, and its transfers page names the F Gates as the Terminal 2 gates. Check the terminal printed on your booking. Our guide to every UAE airport sets out the airlines for each terminal.
| Building | Gates | Who uses it |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal 1 | D Gates, by airport train | More than 50 international airlines |
| Terminal 2 | F Gates | flydubai and about 21 airlines in all |
| Terminal 3 | A, B and C Gates | Emirates, plus some flydubai flights |
Where is Terminal 2, and why is it different from Terminals 1 and 3?
Terminal 2 stands north of Terminal 1, and Dubai Airports gives its access as Al Twar Road and Rashidiya. Terminals 1 and 3 sit side by side on the Garhoud side. The three are connected by road, not by one concourse.
Two things follow from that. There is no metro station here, because the Red Line stops at Terminals 1 and 3 only. And the pickup road is different, so a driver sent to the wrong building has a road journey to make before he reaches you.
By OSRM, the Terminal 2 area is about 7 km by road from the Terminal 1 car park and about 12 km from Terminal 3. Tell your chauffeur “Terminal 2” and send the flight number. Our Terminal 1 guide and Terminal 3 guide cover the other two buildings.
What to expect in the Terminal 2 arrivals area
The fact file describes a compact building:
- Passport control: 36 arrival immigration counters and 10 Smart Gates.
- Baggage: 6 reclaim carousels in the arrivals hall.
- Gates: 12 boarding gates and 43 remote stands.
- Parking: 1,073 spaces, including 23 for car rental.
Smart Gates are open to GCC citizens, UAE residents, visa-on-arrival visitors and returning tourists with a biometric passport. Families with children use a staffed counter. Our Dubai arrival guide explains who qualifies and what the customs limits are.
The fact file is from 2019. It also lists 38 counters in one place and 36 in another, so treat the count as approximate.
Where does your driver meet you at Terminal 2?
Your Assure chauffeur waits in the Terminal 2 arrivals hall, just beyond the customs doors, holding a board with your name. Switch your phone on at the belt and the exact spot arrives on WhatsApp.
Dubai Airports has no pick-up area at arrivals, so your chauffeur walks you to a car park. Terminal 2 has two:
| Car park | Type | Walk to the terminal |
|---|---|---|
| Car Park A | Premium | 3 to 5 minutes |
| Car Park B | Economy | 10 to 12 minutes |
Give your flight number when you book. The pickup follows your real landing time, and your quote states how long the chauffeur waits. The DXB pickup page covers all three terminals.
Getting from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1 or 3
How you change terminals depends on your ticket. Dubai Airports’ transfers page does not publish a Terminal 2 shuttle timetable, so ask your airline or a Guest Experience Ambassador on arrival if you hold one through ticket.
On separate tickets you clear immigration, collect bags and pass customs, then travel by road. A chauffeur can meet you at Terminal 2 and drop you at Terminal 1 or Terminal 3 departures. Read our guide to self-transfer connections between UAE airports before you book separate tickets, because you may need a visa to leave the airport.
Terminal 2 to Sharjah, Deira and the rest of Dubai: drive times
Terminal 2 is the closest terminal to Sharjah. These distances and free-flow times run from a point at Terminal 2, averaged over both directions, from the OSRM route planner on OpenStreetMap data. Expect longer at weekday rush hours.
| From Terminal 2 to | Road distance | Without traffic |
|---|---|---|
| Sharjah city | about 13 km | 14 min |
| Deira (Al Rigga) | about 8 km | 11 min |
| Dubai World Trade Centre | about 15 km | 18 min |
| Downtown Dubai | about 18 km | 19 min |
| Business Bay | about 20 km | 20 min |
| Dubai Marina | about 36 km | 34 min |
| Palm Jumeirah, Atlantis end | about 40 km | 40 min |
| Al Maktoum International (DWC) | about 60 km | 59 min |
| Abu Dhabi city | about 153 km | 1 h 41 min |
For longer trips, see our intercity transfers. Need the car all day? Book the chauffeur service by the hour, and the clock starts when you land.
Photos in this guide
Dubai Taxi cars in front of the arrivals entrance under the T2 sign at Dubai International Terminal 2Ravi Dwivedi / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
A line of flydubai Boeing 737s on the Terminal 2 ramp at Dubai International at sunriseSimon Stonier / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
A queue of Dubai Taxi cars along the kerb outside Terminal 2 at Dubai InternationalRavi Dwivedi / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
