By Mohammed Rashad Hussain, Managing PartnerPublished 3 min read
Last checked 2026-10-17. Dubai Airports and the airlines move flights between terminals from time to time, so use this page to narrow it down and your booking to confirm.
Which terminal does each airline use?
Dubai International (DXB) has three passenger terminals. The airline decides the terminal, not the city you fly from.
| Airline | Terminal | Gates |
|---|---|---|
| Emirates | Terminal 3 | A, B and C Gates |
| flydubai | Terminal 2, with some flights from Terminal 3 | F Gates, or A, B and C Gates |
| United | Terminal 3 | A, B and C Gates |
| Air Canada | Terminal 3 | A, B and C Gates |
| Most other foreign airlines | Terminal 1 | D Gates, by airport train |
| Regional airlines | Terminal 2 | F Gates |
The Dubai Airports transfers page is the source for the Terminal 3 names and for the gate letters. We do not list further airline names here, because the airport does not publish a fixed list and carriers do change buildings.
Which terminal does Emirates use?
Emirates uses Terminal 3 only. The airline says every Emirates flight arrives and departs from Emirates Terminal 3, so the answer is the same for a flight from London, Mumbai or Sydney.
If you land on Emirates, your chauffeur waits in the Terminal 3 arrivals hall. Our Terminal 3 arrivals guide shows the walk from the gate to the hall and the car park.
Which terminal does flydubai use?
flydubai is based at Terminal 2, a separate building from Terminal 1, reached from Al Twar Road and Rashidiya. Dubai Airports also lists flydubai among the airlines using Terminal 3. That means two flydubai passengers on different routes can land in different buildings.
Read the terminal off your booking, not off the airline name. Our Terminal 2 arrivals guide covers the smaller building.
Which airlines use Terminal 1?
Terminal 1 is the terminal for foreign carriers. Dubai Airports says its D Gates serve numerous international airlines, and its fact file counts more than 50. The D Gates are in Concourse D, which you reach from the main building by a short airport train.
If your airline is not Emirates, flydubai, United or Air Canada, Terminal 1 is the likely answer. Check before you set off. The Terminal 1 arrivals guide walks the train, passport control and baggage hall.
How do you confirm your terminal?
Use these in order:
- Your booking confirmation or e-ticket, which Dubai Airports says shows the departure terminal.
- The airline’s manage-booking page.
- The Dubai Airports departures and arrivals pages, which list every flight by number.
- Your chauffeur, who sees the same data when tracking your flight.
What if you end up at the wrong terminal?
Moving between terminals is a road trip, not a corridor. OSRM puts the Terminal 3 and Terminal 1 areas about 11 km and 25 minutes apart without traffic. Plan to take a taxi, bus or car.
For a departure, this is why the 3 hours Dubai Airports suggests matters. To drop bags in the city first, read our guide to city check-in in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The departure timing guide sets out the clock.
How does this affect your pickup?
Your chauffeur meets you in the arrivals hall of your terminal and walks you to the car. Give us your flight number on WhatsApp and we confirm the terminal. See Assure airport transfers at DXB for how a pickup runs, or our UAE airports guide for the other airports.
Photos in this guide
Aircraft gates and an Emirates A380 on the apron at Dubai International Airport Terminal 3EditQ / Wikimedia Commons, CC0
The palm-lined moving walkway in the Terminal 3 concourse at Dubai InternationalChris Olszewski / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
A flydubai Boeing 737 MAX at a gate at Dubai International Airport at duskN82khan / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
A line of Dubai taxis outside Terminal 2 at Dubai International AirportRavi Dwivedi / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
